SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bay FC, the first Northern California franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), today announced Sutter Health as the club’s first Founding Partner. Sutter Health, a leading Northern California-based not-for-profit integrated health system, will be the team’s front-of-kit sponsor and Official Medical Provider through 2028. Together, Bay FC and Sutter will invest in community health and wellness programs for young people with an emphasis on young women. 

“At its core, Sutter Health shares our values of investing in the community, women’s sports and providing the best resources for our team,” said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart. “We want to thank Sutter Health for their commitment to providing these incredible athletes best in class services and for raising the bar when it comes to partnerships in our league. Our hope is that we continue to see these types of partnerships grow exponentially in the NWSL and in women’s sports across the board.” 

“Sutter Health is proud to make this groundbreaking commitment to Bay FC and women’s soccer,” said Sutter Health President and CEO Warner Thomas. “We hope seeing the Sutter Health logo on the front of the team’s jerseys inspires girls and women in our communities to get involved in soccer, other sports, or even healthcare. At Sutter, we recognize diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential parts of providing high-quality, equitable and culturally competent healthcare. We also know participating in sports is a great way for young women to take charge of their own health and well-being, promotes confidence and often leads to them taking on leadership roles both on and off the field.” 

Sponsorship Benefits Community  
Working together, Bay FC and Sutter will invest in community health and wellness programs with the goal of reaching thousands of Northern California young women and their families in underserved communities with education about health, wellness, and getting and staying fit. The two organizations will also bring Bay FC players to Sutter hospitals and clinics to visit with and inspire local patients. 

As part of the sponsorship, the Sutter Health logo will appear front and center on Bay FC’s primary and secondary jerseys and future Bay FC Academy jerseys over the next five years.  

Sutter Health will be the Official Medical Provider and provide dedicated resources for player health, including access to specialty care, for the team. Richard Gayle, M.D., will lead Sutter’s Bay FC Medical Team as chief medical officer.  
 
Dr. Gayle is a sports medicine trained orthopedic surgeon at Sutter’s Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He currently serves as one of the team physicians for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Youth Teams including the U23 National Team that has qualified for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris. He previously served as head team physician and chief medical officer for the San Jose Earthquakes men’s professional soccer team (MLS) from 2017 to 2021. He was also a Division One collegiate soccer player at Loyola University Chicago. In addition to soccer, Dr. Gayle has served in tournament and team physician roles with professional women’s and men’s tennis, U.S.A. Rugby, U.S.A. Gymnastics, U.S.A. Figure Skating and as a former assistant team physician for the Oakland Raiders. 
  
“The unique opportunity to be part of Bay Area soccer excellence, especially women’s soccer, is extremely exciting,” said Dr. Gayle. “The Bay Area has had a long and strong history of elite women’s soccer and to be part of this new professional team overseeing their medical care and wellness is a distinct privilege for our Sutter Health team. Our compliment of skilled physicians will provide a comprehensive team approach to supporting the medical needs of Bay FC.” 
  
Celebrating the Birth of a Sponsorship 
To celebrate the sponsorship and support women’s health and to connect with the newest and youngest Bay FC fans, Bay FC and Sutter will provide all babies born today, Dec. 13, 2023, at six Sutter hospitals in the greater Bay Area with co-branded soccer balls and co-branded socks for their parents, fostering a connection with the club from the very start. 

Legends, a global premium experiences company, represented Bay FC in sourcing and negotiating the historic partnership with Sutter Health. 

Bay FC kicks off its inaugural season in March 2024 at PayPal Park in San Jose. Ticket deposits are now open for Bay FC’s inaugural season and new merchandise can be purchased at BayFC.com. Fans can also follow @wearebayfc on social channels for more exciting announcements to come. 

About Bay Football Club  
Bay Football Club (Bay FC) is the new women's professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area and the 14th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Bay FC was established in April 2023 and co-founded by USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street and an investor group of leading tech, business and sports executives. Sixth Street’s investment is the largest institutional investment to date in a women’s professional sports franchise. Bay FC is changing the face of women’s soccer as we know it. Beginning play in the 2024 season, we are building a squad that will play the beautiful game with power, passion, energy and creativity. Ticket deposits are now open for Bay FC at https://bayfc.com and fans can follow Bay FC’s social channels (@wearebayfc) for the latest news, merchandise and events. 

About Sutter Health  
Sutter Health’s integrated, not-for-profit system of associated clinicians, employees and volunteers support more than 3 million patients in diverse communities across two dozen counties. Headquartered in Northern California, Sutter provides access to high quality, affordable care through its hospitals, medical foundations, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent and walk-in care centers, telehealth, home health and hospice services.      

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• Bay FC and Sutter Health

Angie Sheets
Sutter Health
1-800-428-7377 
sheetsa@sutterhealth.org

Lisa Goodwin Scharff 
Bay FC
(408) 663-0335  
lscharff@bayfc.com

Monique Binkley Smith
Sutter Health
1-800-428-7377 
monique.binkleysmith@sutterhealth.org