Hansen expects to bring back “30 to 40 people” in support of NWSL tournament

The move is in support of the 2020 Challenge Cup, which will take place at Hansen-owned facilities.

In a press conference regarding the upcoming NWSL tournament to take place in Salt Lake County, Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen said the club is planning to add “30 to 40 people” back to the organization.

The 2020 Challenge Cup, which starts June 27 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman and will feature some matches at Rio Tinto Stadium with a final on July 27, will require staff to support it, Hansen said. Alongside that, Hansen said he’s been reinstating full salaries to employees who took 20-percent wage cuts.

“I hope you know as we started the season at RSL and had to shut down immediately, we just brought on a lot of people, 150 people, to run the season,” he said in the press conference. “A lot of those are season employees, and it was sad to see that the season stopped, and it would actually be better if they took their unemployment and government subsidies than it would be to be kept on.

“However, we do think we will bring back between 30 and 40 people, and the good thing too is that members that took 20-percent wage reductions, I’m having a lot of fun reinstating full salaries thanks to this tournament. So there is a community effect.”

A full quote from Hansen during the press conference follows.

There are two tournaments, just to know. There will be another tournament right after that will be announced later from another professional league that will dovetail right after NWSL at the Zions Bank Academy.

I hope you know as we started the season at RSL and had to shut down immediately, we just brought on a lot of people, 150 people to run the season. A lot of those are season employees, and it was sad to see that the season stopped, and it would actually be better if they took their unemployment and government subsidies than it would be to be kept on. However, we do think we will bring back between 30 and 40 people, and the good thing too is that members that took 20 percent wage reductions, I’m having a lot of fun reinstating full salaries thanks to this tournament. So there is a community effect.

Hotels are bringing people back. Apartments are adding people. We’re able to recall staff that are gameday staff to help support the tournament. Our food service groups will be able to serve the athletes. It’s exciting to see that we’re finding a path back to bring people back into employment, to get away from the fear of what the future looks like.

This is painting a picture that the future’s bright, we are smart people, we know how to execute, and the facility gave us that normal ability to create this village, this tournament. The bigger picture is that it employs 300 women soccer players, it gives them purpose. It gives hundreds of employees in the RSL group purpose, and we’re not just waiting for COVID to disappear, we’re purposely moving forward.