SANDY / LOGAN, Utah (Monday, February 5, 2018) – Just 10 days before kicking off its 2018 preseason, Utah Royals FC and Conservice, “The Utility ExpertsTM,” jointly announced that the Logan, Utah-based company will display its corporate branding on both the front and back of the Utah National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) jerseys starting in March and running through at least the 2020 season.
The inaugural kits for the Utah Royals FC are provided by NWSL equipment supplier Nike, with the Rio Tinto Stadium-housed club introducing a yet-to-be-unveiled “Victory Gold” primary look – available in mid-March – and a clean white secondary design, expected in both Stadium and Downtown RSL Team Stores after Feb. 15. Each Utah Royals FC kit is emblazoned with the club’s “Lioness” shield over the heart, the Conservice name across the chest, a Nike swoosh under the right shoulder, and NWSL and Lifetime logos on the sleeves. The Conservice slogan “The Utility Experts” appears on the back of the jerseys, underneath the player numbers.
“This three-year commitment by Conservice represents the most lucrative jersey-front deal in American women’s soccer history,” said Utah Royals FC Owner Dell Loy Hansen, who brought the NWSL to Rio Tinto Stadium just 10 weeks ago. “The Conservice vision for our partnership aligns perfectly with our aspirations to build the world’s best women’s professional sports organization worldwide. We are grateful that Conservice recognizes the opportunity that the arrival of Utah Royals FC represents for fans across our region, and are excited to deepen their involvement in soccer.”
Conservice Founder and CEO David Jenkins built “The Utility ExpertsTM” starting with one team member in August of 2000, the company now growing to more than 1,600 currently, based on a philosophy of personal relationships and an attention to customer service while utilizing the latest technology. As the largest full-service utility management company in North America, the Logan, Utah-based company provides utility management, billing and other services to more than three million addresses in the United States and internationally.
“Many of our team members are soccer fans, and can’t wait to help promote women’s soccer here in Utah,” said Conservice Chief Operating Officer Aimee Cox. “I am proud to be part of a company that does so much for women in the workforce and now in women’s soccer. Conservice is known for making an impact everywhere it does business. We are excited about this new partnership with Utah Royals FC. We look forward to the club’s success on the field and the positive impact I’m sure they will have in our communities.”
The Utah Royals FC are one of nine NWSL teams participating in the 2018 campaign, playing 24 regular-season games (12 home, 12 away) in what will be an historic sixth season, looking to advance to the NWSL Championship Game on the weekend of September 22. During this past 2017 season, the NWSL celebrated the 500th game in league history – more than the combined total of the two previous women's leagues – as it continued to push women's professional soccer to new heights as the best league in the world.
The 2018 NWSL season will once again feature widespread national television coverage, as the NWSL Game of the Week appears via Lifetime every Saturday during the regular season, while the Utah Royals FC local and regional television plans will soon be unveiled, along with the complete 2018 schedule. International fans will also be able to continue to watch games on the new NWSL app and a revampedwww.NWSLsoccer.com – both of which will strengthened with additional features and improvements for 2018.
Led by Head Coach Laura Harvey and building a roster that already includes U.S. Women’s National Team Captain Becky Sauerbrunn, USA star Kelley O’Hara, Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Diana Matheson, and Icelandic star Gunnhildur Jonsdottir, Utah Royals FC kick off its inaugural campaign with road games on the weekends of both March 24 and March 31 prior to an international break in early April, finally christening its Rio Tinto Stadium home on Saturday, April 14 (kickoff time and opponent TBD).
Preparations for the NWSL’s sixth season commence locally in Herriman, Utah on Monday, February 19, when the club’s preseason roster convenes for preseason at the world-class Zions Bank Training Center. Season tickets for the 2018 Utah Royals FC season – kicking off March 24 on the road prior to the club's April 14 inaugural game at Rio Tinto Stadium – are now on sale viawww.RSL.com/NWSLor by calling 844.Real.Tix.
General seating on the primary level of Rio Tinto Stadium's lower bowl ranges from $120 to $300 for the 12-game home season, depending on location, while the spectacular venue's premium seating options range from $600 to $1,500 in the Zions Bank Club Seats, Interform Club or Audi Executive Club (all of which include food and other amenities). Ledge Box and Suite options are also available for the 12-game Utah Royals FC NWSL regular season.
To purchase 2018 Season Tickets call 844.REAL.TIX or fill out the priority form atwww.RSL.com/UtahRoyalsFC. The Utah Royals FC Season Ticket Member Hotline is (801) 727.2702 for direct access to the front office. Season Ticket Membership Payment plans are available, with Members able to manage tickets online viawww.Flashseats.com or through the "MyAccount" option atwww.RSL.com/Tickets.
The Utah Royals FCSupporters Group seating area will be located in Sections 28/29 behind the NORTH goal at Rio Tinto Stadium, with season tickets at $120 for the 2018 campaign (this $10 per-game area could expand due to high demand).
Four levels of General Seating are available at Rio Tinto Stadium for the inaugural Utah Royals FC campaign, with $300 West Side Front Row seats in Sections 17 and 21 (Platinum Membership) and $240 season tickets in the adjacent rows of those sections (Gold Membership).Other West Side sections reflect a Silver Membership, including 15-16 and 22-23 are priced at just $180 for the 12-game season, as are East Side RioT Sections 1, 2, 37 + Fieldside Areas of 3 & 36.
For just $120, Utah Royals FC Bronze Membership locations are East Side RioT Sections 4, 5, 15, 23-35, as well as the top half of Sections 3 & 36).
Numerous Premium Seating Options – which include food & other amenities – are also available in the new East Side Audi Executive Club ($1,500 per seat), the West Side Interform Club ($960 per) and the Zions Bank Club Seats ($600 each). Ledge Boxes for six, eight or 12 people are also part of the 2018 Utah Royals FC setup at Rio Tinto Stadium. Finally, 32 West Side Suites are available at Rio Tinto Stadium in 15-, 18-, and 24-person increments. Please inquire further by calling Chief Ticketing Officer Matt Rader at 801.727.2864.
For more information on Utah Royals FC, visitwww.RSL.com/UtahRoyalsFC or follow the club socially on @UtahRoyalsFC Twitter,www.Facebook.com/UtahRoyalsFC or on Instagram at @UtahRoyalsFC.
In late November, two-time NWSL Coach of the Year Laura Harvey was introduced as the inaugural Head Coach for RSL's entry into the National Women's Soccer League, to begin play in the Spring of 2018, the league's sixth season.
"Visiting with [RSL Owner] Dell Loy Hansen, General Manager Craig Waibel, RSL Head Coach Mike Petke and others and having the chance to see their vision for the Club locally and the sport nationally and internationally, it was impossible not to get excited about what RSL looks to do for women's soccer," said the England-born Harvey, noting that an NWSL return was not part of her initial plan. "The facilities and environment that we will be able to offer our players are world-class. This is a great place for me to continue to develop as a coach, and I believe we will be able to make a huge stamp on women's soccer not just in Utah but nationwide."
Harvey, 37, guided the Seattle Reign to the NWSL Final twice in the last five seasons, winning the NWSL Shield for the league's top regular-season record in both 2014 and 2015. Harvey, who departed the Reign in early November and was targeted for multiple international coaching opportunities, won the NWSL Coach of the Year award following both Shield-winning seasons.
"Our goal is to build the very best women's sports organization in America, and we were advised from the outset that Laura Harvey was the very best coach on the market," said Hansen, just weeks before the club opens the $73 million Zions Bank Real Academy in Herriman, Utah, 15 minutes southwest of Rio Tinto Stadium. "Only 28 days ago was I asked to look into this opportunity, and we knew we not only wanted to join the NWSL as quickly as possible and participate, but we believe that our current infrastructure as well as the development initiatives on the RSL horizon align perfectly with Laura's vision for how she wants to build a program – again, with the goal of being the best around. Our community is already passionate about women's sports, and we believe that empowering and advancing the women's game accelerates the change to build a better Utah."
During her five years with the Reign, Harvey held the league's second-best all-time regular-season record at 51-33-26, earning 179 points over 110 matches. Harvey – the lone head coach Seattle had ever known prior to her resignation on Nov. 7 – assumed the club's General Manager duties midway through its inaugural 2013 season, a post she held concurrently throughout her Seattle reign.
That year, the Reign finished with the second-worst record, but rebounded the following year kick off the campaign with a 13-0-3 start en route to claiming the NWSL's all-time best regular-season finish in 2014 with a 16-2-6 overall mark and 54 points (2.25 points per match). That historic 2014 season also saw the Harvey-led Reign boast a share of the record for most wins in a season (16, tied with 2017 North Carolina), while featuring the league's best all-time single-season goal differential (+30) and longest-ever unbeaten streak (16 games).
"Laura's record of excellence has been proven on both sides of the pond, and she obviously possesses a vast knowledge not only of the NWSL but of international players all over the world," said Waibel at the time of the Harvey hire, now entering his fifth season in Utah. "Much has been made of our whirlwind entry into NWSL over the previous 10 days, but we have targeted Laura since the outset as the top candidate for this opportunity. She's certainly the right fit given our club culture and how she sees the game and wants it to be played."
The British-born Harvey grew up in Bulkington, a village in Warwickshire, England. She attended George Eliot School in Nuneaton and played football for the Coventry City L.F.C. At age 22, Harvey tore her ACL while playing for Birmingham City L.F.C., thus kicking off her coaching career.
Before arriving to the fledgling NWSL in 2013, Harvey served as assistant coach for the England women's national football team at the U-17, U-19 and U-23 levels from 2005-2011. She then was brought on as Manager of Arsenal L.F.C., where from 2010-12 Arsenal was the 2010 FA Women's Premier League Champion, the 2011 FA Women's Cup winner, the 2011 and 2012 FA Women's Super League Champion, and the 2011 and 2012 FA WSL Continental Cup winner. For her efforts, Harvey was named Women's Super League Coach of the Season in 2011.
About NWSL
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a nine-team Division-I women's professional soccer league featuring national team players from around the world. The clubs joining Utah Royals FC entry are the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, and the Washington Spirit. Based in Chicago, the NWSL is supported by the Canadian Soccer Association and the United States Soccer Federation. For more information about the NWSL, log on to the league's official website at www.NWSLsoccer.com.
The NWSL previously added new teams to the league on two occasions – with the Houston Dash becoming the league's first expansion club in 2014, followed by the Orlando Pride in 2016. The North Carolina Courage were also welcomed into the fold in 2017 following the acquisition and relocation of the Western New York Flash to the Tar Heel State.
About REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake enters it 14th Major League Soccer season in 2018. The club's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base now approaching 14,000+ season ticket holders, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage – posting a dominant record of 106-26-42 (W-L-T) at home since building its permanent Rio Tinto Stadium home in Sandy.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs enter 2018 as the defending USL regular-season champions, and christen their new 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on March 31 vs. Portland Timbers 2. The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL and the Monarchs in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
Later this month, Hansen will officially open the Zions Bank Real Academy – a world-class training facility that will host teams at all levels of the pyramid, from Major League Soccer to USL and U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-19 and U-17 sides.
Last December, Hansen and RSL celebrated the ribbon-cutting of a new North Logan facility, the first of a half-dozen regional training centers across Utah and Arizona aimed at providing opportunity and instruction for children ages 7-14. Each facility will house an indoor field, an outdoor field and a classroom, with a curriculum for player, coaching and referee education. Future site proposals include West Salt Lake, Taylorsville, Orem and St. George in Utah, with the potential for Arizona-based facilities to service Phoenix and Tucson.
About CONSERVICE:
Conservice is a privately-held company, headquartered in Logan, Utah. David Jenkins, CEO and president of Conservice, founded Conservice in 2000 after recognizing a need for a customer service-driven company for utility management services for commercial real estate clients. Now with 1600+ team members, Conservice – the largest full-service utility management company in North America – provides utility services to apartment communities, military housing, student housing, government housing, bank-owned housing, and a wide range of commercial properties servicing more than 3,000,000 addresses in the United States and internationally.
