Black Star, BWPC announce first-ever National Showcase of Black Female Soccer Players

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.

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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 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 in 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 growth year over year. Says Black Women's Player Collective Board Member Brianna Pinto:

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. 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. Says Director, Black Star & Cultural Marketing Patrick Rose:

Our vision is to be a catalyst and platform for increased representation of players from our communities. 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 form 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. Says Prairie View Head Soccer Coach Abe García:

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. It's an exciting opportunity to grow the game, inspire, and celebrate the impact the sport has made in communities.

Allstate Next Wave National Showcase details:

We'll be sharing more details over the coming weeks, but here's a quick overview of the when, the where, and the who.

• When: November 22-25, 2025

• Where: Prairie View A&M University

• Who: 20-30 top-performing high-school-aged Black female players