After MLS made the bombshell decision to switch up its season schedule to match up with the rest of the world's soccer calendar beginning in 2027, the NWSL's talks of whether to follow suit are officially heating up. Commissioner Jessica Berman talked to ESPN on Thursday following her State of the League address and confirmed that after a vote failed to pass in 2024, the Board of Governors was reconsidering the move.
“There are certainly opportunities that can be created with us not overlapping Major League Soccer, in that the schedule congestion for our summer calendar will be mitigated,” Berman said. “On the other hand, there will of course be other challenges that it creates in terms of understanding and knowing stadium availability.”
The NWSL's current season schedule runs from spring until fall, and the change would see action take place from late summer until the following spring. Keeping the present arrangement would cause issues once MLS shifts its calendar, as the men's league's playoffs would make it harder for the NWSL to find stadium availability for its early-season games since 12 of 16 teams share a venue with Major League Soccer clubs.
General managers around the league allegedly remain split on the decision, as do members of the NWSL's leadership. One GM gave their thoughts anonymously through a survey, saying they were in favor of the decision to reverse the calendar.
“I think if we move the schedule, most of the teams are not in [warm weather locations], so it would be complicated,” one NWSL GM said. “If we want to keep the quality of the game … we work worldwide. Soccer is global.”
However, not everybody is automatically on board with the plan to line up the NWSL's season schedule with the professional leagues overseas. Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan, an England native who began her career at Manchester City, told ESPN that she hopes the North American league keeps the format it currently has.
“It was something that, coming from Europe, I saw as a really positive thing. I think it's interesting that MLS has changed,” Morgan admitted. “I feel like going into international tournaments in the summer, you're peaking midway through the season, and that's something that's really positive.”
Morgan also pointed out that the climate of each location has a significant impact on how much fans and players will be able to enjoy the matches.
“I also appreciated the thought of having good weather throughout the spring to autumn league,” Morgan added. “It's not nice playing in the cold. I think the cold is much more extreme here than it is back home. I think even for viewership, like, no one wants to bring their children to catch hypothermia watching the game, do they? I feel like it suits this league well, to be honest, the way it is just now, but we'll see.”
With MLS' change coming, the NWSL has a year and a half to solidify its choice before being permanently affected.
