Spokane Zephyr FC announce via website post 2025-26 season will be last

May 20-The Spokane Zephyr FC - the first professional women's soccer club in Spokane - has played its last game.

Ownership of the team announced late Tuesday afternoon in a message on the team's website that the 2025-26 season will be the last. The Zephyr was launched in 2024 as part of the inaugural United Soccer League Super League season.

Spokane Zephyr FC is owned by Aequus Sports, a group that also operates Spokane Velocity FC men's team of the USL League One.

The Spokane PFD and Aequus Sports finalized a 10-year contract in September 2023 that cleared the way for professional soccer at ONE Spokane Stadium.

There had been earlier suggestions that Aequus had struggled to meet financial expectations.

Last summer, the ownership team, which includes Ryan and Katie Harnetiaux and local developer Jordan Tampien, missed a deadline for a balloon payment required in their contract with the Spokane Public Facilities District, which owns ONE Spokane Stadium, where the teams play. The PFD board was set to vote on terminating the contract but gave the teams an extra day, during which the ownership came up with the money demanded by the PFD.

Under Aequus' original deal with the PFD, it owed about $2.5 million in March 2025 and was set to pay the agency another $2 million in November 2027, according to a state audit report.

Details for the decision to cease operation were not included in the news release. Team and ownership officials did not respond to requests for comment.

"The PFD is committed to promoting women's sports and looks forward to hearing Aequus' plan to continue women's soccer in Spokane," Stephanie Curran, CEO of the PFD, said in a text message to The Spokesman-Review.

The Zephyr competed in the women's D1 Gainbridge Super League. The team went 10-9-9 this season, finishing fifth in the league and failed to qualify for the playoffs in both seasons of league play. The Zephyr reportedly drew roughly 2,500 fans in its inaugural season but attendance fell by nearly 1,000 fans per game in 2025-26.

"Over the past two seasons, you've helped bring professional women's soccer to life in Spokane," the unsigned message to fans said. "The energy, belief, and support you've shown this club have meant everything to our players and staff.

"After careful consideration, we have made the decision not to continue operating a professional women's team beyond the 2025/26 season."

The release declared that the decision to dissolve the Zephyr " is not the end of women's soccer in Spokane. We remain committed to the game and to this community, and we will continue exploring ways to ensure women's soccer remains an active and visible part of the Inland Northwest."

No details were provided about how Aequus will help women's soccer in Spokane nor any details about the future of Velocity.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 7:01 PM.