The sale of the San Diego Wave to a Los Angeles couple is complete.
The club announced Thursday that Lauren Leichtman will serve as the club’s new NWSL Governor, while her son, Zachary Leichtman-Levine, will serve as the new NWSL Alternate Governor.
The Wave’s sale was first announced in March, with reports saying the Levine Leichtman Family Office paid a then-NWSL record $113 million to Ron Burkle for the club. The family paid $35 million then, with the remaining $78 million due this fall.
Burkle remained the team’s control person throughout the season, which has seen the Wave tumble to 12th place in the NWSL standings, change general managers (once) and coaches (twice) and lose international superstar Alex Morgan to retirement and others to injury.
The Wave’s new owners are longtime supporters of women’s athletics. Leichtman and her husband, Arthur Levine, have been UCLA boosters since Wave President Jill Ellis coached the Bruins’ women’s soccer team.
“We are incredibly proud to take ownership of the San Diego Wave FC,” Leichtman said. “This team has made a significant impact on women’s soccer and has become an integral part of the San Diego community. We are thrilled to join this extraordinary journey and build upon the incredible foundation laid by Ron Burkle. Our commitment to the club will extend beyond the field as we pursue the construction of a new state-of-the-art training facility while also supporting local youth development and community programs.
“Our mission is to create an unparalleled experience for fans, players, and staff, further cementing the Wave’s position as the premier women’s soccer club.”
Leichtman and Levine are the founders of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, a global private equity firm that has managed approximately $15 billion since its inception.
The winner of last year’s NWSL Shield for the best regular-season record in the league, the Wave are now 5-12-7 with two regular-season matches remaining. While they have not yet been eliminated from NWSL playoff contention, the Wave need to win both of their remaining matches and get help from other teams to qualify as the No. 8 seed.
