Jordan Nytes, jordannytes, is set to play her final year of soccer at the University of Colorado in the fall. After that, the goalie from Aurora has dreams of playing in the National Women’s Soccer League. When the nwsl announced that Denver would become the league’s sixteenth franchise starting in spring 2026, Nytes added another dimension to her dream. She’d already met with NWSL teams in other cities, but the idea that she could play professionally near her family and the community she’s built during college gives her extra motivation. “I want to play in the NWSL for sure next spring, and being in Denver would probably be my top option,” Nytes says. Nytes speaks for the scores of young, talented women who have risen through the ranks of Colorado’s excellent soccer development at the youth level who want to compete as pros. Before this, those gifted players have always had to leave the state. Advocates for bringing a team to Denver argued that they deserved a chance to stay and pl...