The NWSL’s Board of Governors has agreed to stick with a spring-to-fall schedule through at least 2030 after abruptly calling off an expected vote to change the league’s calendar.
The league’s board made the decision on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon, where commissioner Jessica Berman and representatives from the 18 franchises assembled in person.
“The National Women’s Soccer League will continue to operate under its current spring-to-fall schedule through 2028, 2029, and 2030,” an NWSL spokesperson said in a statement.
“Following extensive evaluation and close collaboration with key stakeholders, we have made the deliberate decision to maintain our existing competition calendar for this period. This decision reflects our confidence in the strong momentum and growth the league has achieved under its current structure, and our commitment to providing stability for everyone invested in the NWSL’s success.”
ESPN reported earlier this month that the NWSL’s Board of Governors was expected to vote on whether to flip the league’s season to a fall-to-spring schedule, which would result in more regular season games in cold-weather months.
Sources across the league described having meetings about the topic as recently as late last week, but the vote was abruptly postponed in the days leading into the meeting. Players were largely against the idea.
The NWSL Players Association responded immediately following ESPN’s report with concerns about “whether the right conditions exist to do so responsibly,” citing facilities issues and other standards.
NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke issued the following statement to ESPN on Wednesday: “NWSL has made the right decision to provide stability and certainty over the calendar footprint for the next several years. Throughout this process, Players made clear that any discussion about the calendar must prioritize Player health and safety, infrastructure [including training and match facilities], and professional standards necessary to compete at the highest level.
“The NWSLPA remains committed to working with NWSL to foster the conditions necessary for its continued growth.”
Multiple sources said that the NWSL’s decision to postpone a decision on flipping the calendar is heavily influenced by business factors.
The boardroom remains divided on the calendar, sources said, with several owners concerned about the financial challenges associated with winterizing training facilities, including the potential costs of building indoor turf facilities and adding undersoil heating to existing grass training fields.
They are also concerned about the impact that a calendar flip would have on attendance in many cold-weather markets.
Ultimately, it became clear that there weren’t currently enough votes in favor of flipping the calendar to pass the measure in a vote, sources told ESPN.
Flipping the calendar, like many major board decisions, would require a supermajority vote, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Multiple sources said that major board votes can often be delayed when there is a belief that an agenda item lacks the necessary votes to pass.
“We remain thoughtful about the long-term evaluation of our calendar — and will continue to assess future opportunities with the same rigor and broad stakeholder alignment that guided this decision,” the statement from an NWSL spokesperson continued.
“Any change of that magnitude would be communicated with ample notice.
“For now, our focus is on continuing to deliver a world-class season as we build toward the future.”
A new media rights deal was at least partly driving the timing of the most recent conversations, ESPN previously reported.
The NWSL will soon negotiate its new media rights deals, which will begin in 2028.
Sources said that the recent intense discussions and league research are at least partly influenced by the need for answers for the next media deal — i.e., potential rights holders need to know when they would be expected to air games.
The league’s commitment to this schedule for the next four years opens the door to a potential calendar flip in 2031, which is when the United States is expected to serve as the primary host of the Women’s World Cup.
That expanded 48-team tournament would force a long break in NWSL play in the summer of 2031 and likely occupy many of the league’s stadiums and training venues.
It could serve as a natural transition year if a change were to be made.
The league’s timeline on a commitment to the current schedule also suggests that the next media rights deal could run through 2030, given its importance to the calendar debate.
The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NWSL Players Association stipulates that the league must provide the union with at least one year’s notice if it intends to flip the calendar.
The CBA also states that the league holds sole discretion to make the decision, but it would be required to bargain with the union over any CBA item affected by such a change.
The current CBA also expires at the end of 2030.
