RSL owner Hansen hoping Salt Lake is home to 10th NWSL franchise

In a bid to make Utah the "State of Soccer," Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen is looking to a professional women's soccer club — an NWSL team, at that — into the fold.

Having had a three-hour lunch meeting with the head of NWSL recently, Hansen, who was joined at that lunch by RSL president Bill Manning, are hoping to make the greater Salt Lake area home to the 10th franchise in the top division of American women's soccer.

It's a decision that's been discussed before, but the three-hour meeting marks a step toward making that dream an actuality. That, coupled with an announcement Tuesday about a potential new home for Real Monarchs in West Valley City that would also serve an NWSL team, represents a step forward in the quest to land professional women's soccer in Salt Lake City.

Presumably, that club might either become Real Salt Lake Women, which is currently a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League.

Real Salt Lake's women team would join nine other NWSL teams:

• Boston Breakers
• Chicago Red Stars
• FC Kansas City
• Houston Dash
• Portland Thorns FC
• Seattle Reign FC
• Sky Blue FC
• Washington Spirit
• Western New York Flash