SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and Minnesota Wild Senior Vice President of Marketing Todd Frederickson today announced Michelle Haines has been named Team President of MLV Minnesota.
Haines brings extensive experience in women’s professional sports to MLV Minnesota, having just completed her second season as the Vice President of Marketing for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). During her tenure with the NWSL, Haines helped drive significant growth in the league’s popularity and revenue. In 2025, the NWSL Championship game became the most-watched event in league history, surpassing 1 million viewers and setting the league record for event ticket revenue.
Following the 2024 launch of the league’s historic broadcast partnerships with ESPN/ABC, Prime Video, Scripps ION, and CBS, Haines led promotional and earned media strategies that drove a 285% increase in ratings. She also directed social media and content initiatives, resulting in a 75% year-over-year increase in engagement, including a record 280% year-over-year increase in followers during the championship.
“Michelle has a proven track record of success in women’s sports,” said Frederickson. “The work she has done in the NWSL, as well as other prominent women’s sports leagues, makes her a perfect fit to successfully launch MLV Minnesota. From the moment we met, it was clear that she had a strong vision of what this franchise could become.”
Prior to her time at the NWSL, Haines was Vice President of Marketing and Ticketing for Seattle Reign FC from 2022 to 2024. In her role, she oversaw marketing, ticketing, and community engagement departments and managed matchday, partnership, and retail marketing initiatives. In Seattle, she implemented strategic initiatives that broke four attendance records for the club within the first six months.
In 2022, under her direction, Reign FC saw ticket revenue increase 180% over the previous season. In 2023, average attendance exceeded 13,000, and ticket revenue increased by 280%.
“Women’s sports are a movement, not a moment. One that Minnesota has embraced with excitement,” said Haines. “Launching a volleyball franchise here, with a fanbase that truly loves all sports, is an incredible opportunity, and I am excited to meet the demand of what the market has come to expect. I genuinely believe that we can set a new standard for how players, fans, and the greater community experience this sport.”
Before her work with Seattle Reign FC, Haines was the Chief Marketing Officer for Seattle Rep, the largest nonprofit resident theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Her background in marketing live entertainment also includes marketing shows on Broadway, including Chicago and the national tour of Shrek the Musical.
MLV Minnesota will begin league play in January 2027. To place a season ticket deposit for MLV Minnesota and for more information on the team, please visit MLVMinnesota.com and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram , and LinkedIn.