![From the left; Minnesota Aurora FC Elizabeth Rapp (7) and Minnesota Aurora FC Catherine Rapp (20) walk off the field disappointed and Minnesota Aurora FC Addison Symonds (16) shows her love the fans after losing 2-1. Minnesota Aurora played South Georgia Tormenta FC in the USL world championship game on Saturday, July 23, 2022 at TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minn. South Georgia won in double overtime 2-1. ] RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER • renee.jones@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5QIEBTMYXOB4BYTTXR3DJY2N7E.jpg?&w=1080)
The Minnesota Aurora won't be part of a professional league in 2024, the team's president said Tuesday on Twitter.
The team had hoped to line up investors and bid to join either the top-level National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) or the second-division USL Superleague, but Aurora President Andrea Yoch said the timeline for 2024 was too tight.
"We will continue to pursue our vision of fielding a professional women's soccer team in Minnesota," she wrote. "Until then our attention remains focused on growing our support and success in the upcoming 2023 USL W season."
The pre-professional club planned all along to play next season in the USL W. It applied to be an expansion team in the 12-team NWSL last month because its deadline was the earlier of the two leagues. The Aurora announced in late October its intentions to take the team professional.
The United States Soccer Federation requires professional clubs to have a single investor who owns at least 35% of the franchise and "meets high standards of wealth."
The Aurora went undefeated during the regular season and reached the USL W League final last summer as a first-year expansion team with more than 3,000 community owners. The USL W League is made up of players mostly from college and high school rosters.
