NWSL Set to Vote on…

Sources informed ESPN that the NWSL’s board of governors is set to vote later this month on a proposal to shift the league’s competitive calendar to a fall-to-spring format.

Currently, the NWSL season begins in March and concludes in November. A shift—one that has sparked heated discussions for years and was narrowly rejected in 2024—would see the season starting in late summer and ending in late spring. This change would align the NWSL with several top European leagues and Major League Soccer (MLS), which is also transitioning to a fall-to-spring schedule next year.

The NWSL board has been deliberating this calendar change for at least three years, with a narrow rejection of the switch following intense discussions in late 2024, as reported by ESPN. Further discussions regarding the matter continue within league circles.

A potential vote on the calendar change may take place in the upcoming board meeting, according to sources, but the agendas for such meetings often change, and the specifics of proposals can be adjusted right up to the moment of voting, as demonstrated in December with the introduction of the new High Impact Player rule.

Even if the board votes in favor of the calendar change, its implementation may take several years, as support for this change is not unanimous.

An NWSL spokesperson has chosen not to comment on this story.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman mentioned in November that “our ecosystem is on notice” regarding the potential calendar change for the league.

Berman noted, “There are certainly opportunities that can arise by not overlapping with Major League Soccer, as it would alleviate scheduling congestion for our summer calendar. However, there are also challenges to navigate in understanding stadium availability.”

Supporters of the calendar change believe aligning the NWSL’s schedule with European leagues will enhance transfer activity and improve management around FIFA international windows.

Sources indicated to ESPN that many board members think that spring offers a more favorable time for television viewership and that the NWSL playoffs could attract a larger audience during this period. The current priority for the NWSL board is maximizing revenue from their forthcoming media rights deal, a topic Berman has frequently addressed over the past year.

Opponents of changing the calendar highlight the cold-weather markets within the NWSL and potential safety concerns related to cold-weather games, although extreme heat has already been an issue during the summer months. There are also worries about how colder conditions and possible weather disruptions could affect attendance, which saw a decline on average last year.

The NWSL board of governors will convene later this month, and any potential vote is expected to be closely contested, akin to the outcome seen in 2024.

Meanwhile, MLS owners voted in November to switch their calendar to align with European schedules. MLS plans to implement a shortened “sprint season” in the spring before transitioning to a full season by 2027-28. Their new season will commence in July, followed by a winter break from mid-December to early February, culminating in playoffs by late May.

The NWSL may pursue a similar approach, but on a delayed timeline.

With the new collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2024, the NWSL has prepared for a potential change by lifting restrictions on preseason start dates and including a clause that requires at least a year’s notice to the NWSL Players Association before making any transition to a fall-to-spring format.

Subsequently, the agreement stipulates the establishment of a scheduling committee that includes input from the NWSLPA, as well as negotiations over necessary alterations that might conflict with the current CBA, while allowing the NWSL the discretion to implement the format change.

There are natural windows for the NWSL to facilitate such a transition, especially with the 2028 Summer Olympics set to take place in Los Angeles (with soccer events held across the U.S.) and the anticipated 2031 Women’s World Cup largely hosted in the United States, although FIFA has delayed formal approval for this joint bid.

Many executives within the league support changing the calendar, as aligning it with European schedules would synchronize NWSL contracts with those overseas, making player transfers more manageable.

In ESPN’s inaugural anonymous general manager survey from 2024, one GM stated that the ongoing discourse regarding the calendar was “arguably the biggest issue facing the league.”

Transforming the summer into an offseason would also help the NWSL sidestep one of their major dilemmas: international tournaments. The league has previously operated through the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups, despite missing numerous key players, and ultimately took a five-week pause for the 2023 tournament.

With each World Cup, the Olympics, and various continental tournaments, there are significant international calendar clashes three out of every four summers. (This year is an exception, as the NWSL implemented a month-long hiatus due to the men’s World Cup taking over many venues.)

Currently, MLS and the NWSL maintain matching schedules that commence at the start of the calendar year (typically February or March) and conclude with playoffs at the end of the year. Both leagues began their seasons early in the calendar year since their founding in 1996 and 2013, respectively.

Additionally, the USL Super League, which is officially recognized as a U.S. women’s first division alongside the NWSL, launched in 2024 and already follows a fall-to-spring schedule that begins in August and ends in May.