The NWSL released its full 2025 schedule on Wednesday morning, locking in 190 league contests across all competitions.
The 2025 Challenge Cup will set the stage on Friday, March 7th with a 2024 NWSL Championship rematch between the title-winning Orlando Pride and runners-up Washington Spirit.
One week later, the official 2025 NWSL Kickoff weekend will see all 14 teams in action as the 182-game regular season gets underway. Each club will play a total of 26 regular-season matches, split equally between home and away contests, before the league's eight top teams will battle through seven playoff games in November.
A mid-summer break begins in late June with a CBA-mandated week-off. The pause extends one month through July to allow for international play. That's when certain national team players will compete for their countries in confederation tournaments while clubs will be free to schedule friendlies. No additional NWSL tournaments will occur during that window.
In one minor adjustment from the league's earlier calendar announcement, the 2025 regular season will be played over 26 weeks (rather than 25) to mitigate the need for midweek games.
The shift also accommodates for the return of Decision Day, which is making a comeback for the first time since 2023. In the popular format, all teams will compete simultaneously to close out the regular season on Sunday, November 2nd.
Moves up season excitement
With playoff positioning often coming down to the wire, capping the regular season with a Decision Day can dramatically up the stakes and increase excitement for the impending playoffs.
In another move to capitalize on fandom enthusiasm, the NWSL has added a dedicated rivalry weekend to its 2025 calendar. From August 8th through 10th, old feuds like the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign's Cascadia Clash will share the spotlight with newer grudges like Angel City and San Diego's SoCal Classic.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL season
Entering the second year of the league's blockbuster broadcast deal, 160 total games will air across Prime Video, ION, ESPN, and CBS platforms this season, with the remaining 30 matches streaming on NWSL+. International distribution is still in negotiations.
Starting the NWSL's 2025 action is the Challenge Cup between Orlando and Washington, which begins at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 7th, streaming live on Prime Video.
Two concurrent matches will kick off the 2025 regular season at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 14th: Houston will face Washington on NWSL+, while Orlando takes on the newly branded Chicago Stars FC on Prime Video.
The 2024 NWSL season isn't fully in the books, but the Chicago Red Stars are already running full-tilt into 2025 with a brand new look.
On Wednesday, the club launched their major rebrand, revealing a new name — Chicago Stars FC — as well as a new crest and secondary logo.
An NWSL crest inspired by the city
Last week, Red Stars CMO Kay Bradley told JWS that plans for the rebrand began after the club's 2023 sale to a group led by Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts.
"We gathered input and inspiration from our athletes. We gathered inspiration and input from current fans, our supporters clubs, as well as prospective fans," she said.
In an effort to raise brand awareness around the city, the club explained that dropping "Red" from the name shifts the focus to the word "Chicago." The soccer ball imagery and FC tag help new fans associate the team with the sport.
The curve at the top of the crest is modeled after classic Chicago marquees. The team took inspiration from the Chicago Theatre and Wrigley Field — home to this year's record-breaking Wrigley Field Takeover match. The adjoining shades of blue are a nod to Lake Michigan, with the press release saying they symbolize "meeting between the land and lake."
Limited-edition Chicago Stars FC merch now available
"As the stewards of this club, Laura Ricketts, the ownership group and the leadership team believe it is time to evolve our identity as a symbol of this new chapter," said Karen Leetzow, Chicago Stars FC president. "It is our intent going forward to honor the legacy made by past players, fans and associates, while carving a new path for the club and representing Chicago more authentically on and off the pitch."
As a part of the rollout, Chicago Stars FC is also dropping a limited-edition retail collection highlighting the new name and logo. The gear will be available via Chicago's online team store. In addition, fans can also purchase items at SeatGeek Stadium during the team's November 3rd match with Kansas City.
The original Red Stars name dates back to the club's 2008 founding, though the crest was refreshed in 2017. The team will continue using the Red Stars name and crest for the remainder of the 2024 season, with the full transition coming at the start of the 2025 season.