Update:
The Oakland Roots officially announced Lindsay Barenz as Team President on Thursday.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Oakland Roots Sports Club and help them in their mission to build the leading, Purpose-driven sports team in the United States,” said Barenz, via the team’s official site. “I believe strongly in the club’s vision of how a sports organization should be built and I’m excited about the opportunity to work in a wonderful city like Oakland. I can’t wait to get started.”
The club adds that Barenz will start her position on January 18th and allow Interim President Steven Aldrich to focus on his role as Club Chair.
“We could not be more thrilled to welcome Lindsay to the club,” said Aldrich. “Not only does she bring experience at the highest level of the game in this country but she is someone who has consistently chosen to lead with purpose throughout her career. Her shared passion for our vision for Oakland was apparent from the first time we met and she will further elevate the club on and off the field.”
The Oakland Roots are set to hire Lindsay Barenz as its Team President, sources confirm. She’s set to become the USL Championship’s only female executive at her position.
An official announcement is expected in the near future.
Steven Goff of the Washington Post was the first to report the news.
Barenz’s background indicates she will have a major impact on Roots SC’s business operations, while those at the club intimate that she will have an all-encompassing role.
It is worth mentioning that the Roots are still developing its women’s team; Barenz will undoubtedly have a big influence on its expansion.
Barenz joins Oakland’s front office after being President of Business Operations for the Washington Spirit of the NWSL from March-August of 2021, parting ways with the embattled club in the most badass, mic drop of styles.
Back in August, Barenz left Washington after participating in the investigation into former head coach Richie Burke’s harassment and verbal abuse of players. Burke was fired a month later. She gave one last ‘fuck-you’ to Washington after voicing concerns about the organization’s sponsorship with IntelliBridge, which is a defense contractor.
Prior to her venture to the Spirit, Barenz was the NWSL’s Vice President of Business Development from 2020-2021. The league landed a couple of big streaming packages during her time in the NWSL office, including three-year media agreements with CBS Sports and Twitch in March of 2020. Both CBS and Twitch aired the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, as well.
Barenz has experience working in an organization with both men’s and women’s teams. Her professional career in soccer began with the MLS’ Real Salt Lake and former NWSL side Utah Royals FC in 2018 as the Vice President of their legal team and member of the Board of Governors. She was later promoted to VP of Strategic Business Development a year later.
Roots continue making good choices this offseason, Barenz certainly sounds like the perfect person to lead the way.