NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman shares insights into the league's upcoming expansion plans, outlining key criteria for selecting new markets. She also addresses the significant changes brought about by the new collective bargaining agreement, particularly the elimination of the college draft and the introduction of free agency.
Commissioner Jessica Berman stated on Thursday that the league's expansion efforts are far from over, with the unveiling of its newest franchise scheduled for next week. 'There have been a lot of rumors circulating, but we will have an announcement next week, so more to come in the not-too-distant future,' Berman said. 'We know that our expansion is not done.
We're in active conversations with our board to determine the next sequence of expansion, and as I've shared before, we have so many interested bidders who were not given a team in this round. Part of the effort in the next three to six months is really developing our next expansion strategy. We want to be aggressive with expansion, but we also want to be strategic and smart about how we do that.' The league, currently at 14 teams, is poised to reach 16 by 2026, with the 15th team, BOS Nation FC, already announced and Denver anticipated to be revealed next week. Berman outlined three guiding principles that will shape the league's expansion beyond 2026. 'The first is ownership and knowing that we have the right owner with the right -- both financial wherewithal as well as vision to invest,' Berman said. 'The second being infrastructure, making sure that we have a bid with a professional and appropriate stadium and training facility that meets the standards, not just of today, but of where we think the league is heading. 'The third being the market, the reason the market is third is really only because we're in this vast country where we know there's opportunity for growth in so many different cities. So it doesn't have to be the driver for our decisions. Heading into the 2025 season, the league is venturing into uncharted territory without a college draft and free agency. These decisions, among others, stem from the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association's agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement last year. 'It's a learning process for the whole ecosystem,' Berman said. 'On the technical staff side, they've never experienced anything like this. There actually is nothing to point to as a case study of how to make this transition, because there is no league that has gone from a world of a draft and having years of service, to being able to earn free agency and just having that melt away overnight. But I think it's also been an adjustment for the players. I've seen some reports of the number of players who are out of contract, who are still looking for a job, and I think being able to find places for all of them, either within our ecosystem or beyond, is also going to be an adjustment for everyone.' The 2025 season will also feature a Rivalry Weekend and the return of Decision Day. Commissioner Berman indicated that the location of the 2025 championship will be announced in 'the next few months.
NWSL Expansion Commissioner Jessica Berman Collective Bargaining Agreement Free Agency Draft 2025 Season Rivalry Weekend Decision Day
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