As Women’s Soccer Surges, First Ever National Showcase of Black Female Soccer Players Announced
As Women’s Soccer Surges, First Ever National Showcase of Black Female Soccer Players Announced
The Allstate Next Wave National Showcase, presented in partnership with Black Star and Black Women's Player Collective, Will Be the First National Scouting Event Showcasing Top-Ranked Black Female Soccer Players
September 24, 2025 - Today marks the announcement of the first-ever national showcase in the U.S. to spotlight top-ranked Black female soccer players. The event, officially the Allstate Next Wave National Showcase presented in partnership with Black Star and Black Women’s Players Collective (BWPC), will take place on November 22-25 and be the first-of-its-kind to gather rising Black female soccer players with aspirations to compete at the collegiate and professional level. The showcase builds on the surging momentum in women’s soccer as fan interest and competitive talent continue to soar, and establishes a talent pipeline that helps ensure further growth of the sport through a diverse lens.
Notably, the showcase reflects the leading talent across the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), and globally, which are highly representative of the Black community. Nearly half of the USWNT are Black players, while Black players make up 12% of the NWSL, a number that continues to grow year over year. “In 2020, we founded the BWPC with a clear mission: to create space and open doors within the existing soccer framework for girls whose skills, talent, and drive position them to compete at the highest level,” says Brianna Pinto, Black Women’s Player Collective Board Member. “As the first women’s soccer organization to champion the growth of the game through the lens of diversity, we remain committed to partnering with others equally invested in advancing women’s sports.”
The investment in creating a showcase of this kind expands upon a variety of programming offered by Black Star to elevate opportunities in soccer for the Black community. “Our vision is to be a catalyst and platform for increased representation of players from our communities,” says Patrick Rose, Director, Black Star & Cultural Marketing at For Soccer. “Black players continue to be massively underrepresented due to a lack of access and awareness of opportunities. Our goal is to change that.” Brand investment in women’s soccer has also seen exponential growth alongside the sport’s rise in recent years, with many brands, like Allstate, recognizing the importance of investing in the next generation of diverse talent.
The showcase will spotlight 20-30 top-performing Black players from high schools across the country and provide them with exposure to top-tier coaches, scouts, and agents. The list of players participating will be released at a later date. Additionally, the showcase will equip the players with educational resources to further their careers through a variety of off-field programming including college prep sessions, career planning panels, nutrition and mental health sessions, and meet-and-greets with current professional players. The showcase will take place at Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black university which has been deeply rooted in advancing opportunities for the Black community since its founding in 1876. “We’re proud to host this event on our campus in partnership with Black Star, Allstate, and Black Women’s Player Collective. They share our mission to connect student-athletes with HBCUs and elevate the visibility of HBCU soccer,” said Prairie View Head Soccer Coach Abe García. “It’s an exciting opportunity to grow the game, inspire, and celebrate the impact the sport has made in communities."
Details for the Allstate Next Wave National Showcase are as follows:
November 22-25, 2025
Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View A&M Soccer Complex, 1600 Stadium Drive, Prairie View, TX
About Black Star
Black Star is the leading brand and platform driving soccer's growth in Black communities at the intersection of soccer, lifestyle, culture, and community. We provide access to development pathways and cultivate soccer culture through real-world and digital experiences. Black Star's offerings include: player experiences, content, fan events, merchandise, and advocacy initiatives. Black Star is backed by For Soccer, the preeminent soccer marketing, media, and experiences company in North America, bound by shared vision for the growth of the sport. For more information, visit www.blackstarsoccer.com.
About Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC)
Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC) is a nonprofit organization that elevates the image, value, and representation of Black women as athletes and leaders in business, industry, and public and private institutions. The BWPC currently consists of Black women competing in the NWSL, USL W League, NSL, and Première Ligue as of 2025 and aims to provide a collective voice to the Black perspective and experience of professional female athletes. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Visit our website at thebwpc.org.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) protects people from life's uncertainties with a wide array of protection for autos, homes, electronic devices and identity theft. Products are available through a broad distribution network including Allstate agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan "You're in Good Hands with Allstate." For more information, visit www.allstate.com.
About Prairie View University
Prairie View A&M University, founded in 1876, is the second oldest public institution of higher education in the state of Texas and the third largest Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the nation. Designated as an “institution of the first class” in the Texas Constitution, the enrollment exceeds 9,000 students and over 80,000 graduates. PVAMU offers academic programs through its ten colleges and schools, boasting degree options leading to bachelor’s to doctoral-level degrees. A Carnegie-classified high-research (R2) University and a member of The Texas A&M University System, PVAMU is dedicated to fulfilling its land-grant mission of achieving excellence in teaching, research and service. For more information, visit www.pvamu.edu.
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Contact: contact@thebwpc.org
Contact: info.blackstar@forsoccer.com