The NWSL has submitted a formal application to US Soccer to launch a Division II league in 2026, with CBS Sports first reporting the league's move to strengthen player development in a shifting domestic landscape early last Friday.
Similar to the academy system overseas, the lower league would serve as both a testing ground and feeder system for the top-flight NWSL, keeping talent in-house while also providing professional resources and competition.
Eight NWSL clubs — North Carolina, Kansas City, Louisville, Gotham, Orlando, Bay FC, Seattle, and Washington — will participate in the second-tier league's inaugural year. The NWSL intends for all clubs to join within Division II's first four years.
Rapid growth reflects increased demand for women's soccer
Pro sports in the US have long relied on the NCAA to prepare future prospects, but with more young players forgoing NCAA soccer to sign pro contracts directly — not to mention the abolishment of the NWSL draft last season — new leagues are emerging to meet the development demand across North America.
Division I operations like the USL Super League and Canada's Northern Super League offer fully professional opportunities, while the amateur-focused WPSL will launch its own second-tier league, WPSL Pro, in 2026.
That said, the NWSL's Division II league would be the only secondary system sharing ownership, infrastructure, and staffing with top NWSL sides.
According to The Athletic, the NWSL has yet to agree upon full details for the new venture, with the submission primarily intended to meet a sanctioning deadline.
Should the application prove successful, club soccer in the US will see a rapid expansion, growing from a single pro league in 2023 to two Division I and two Division II leagues by 2026.
Canada’s Northern Super League (NSL) is preparing for its inaugural season, with the top-flight soccer league dropping a 75-match calendar and broadcast details last week.
The league will officially kick off on April 16th, when Vancouver’s BC Place will host the NSL’s first-ever match, a clash between co-owner Christine Sinclair’s Vancouver Rise FC against the visiting Calgary Wild FC.
Then on April 19th, AFC Toronto will host the Montreal Roses in BMO Field's first-ever NSL game, bringing the pro women's soccer action futher east and arguably initiating a rivalry between two of Canada's largest cities.
The final two NSL clubs will make their debuts one week later, with Halifax Tides FC hosting Calgary on April 26th before Ottawa Rapid FC takes the pitch against Toronto on April 27th.
The NSL has been busy putting the finishing touches on its 2025 launch, with multiple Olympic medalists and ex-NWSL standouts like Canada's own Quinn, Erin McLeod, and Desiree Scott joining the budding league.
Also featuring on NSL debut rosters are US athletes Nikki Stanton and Jasmyne Spencer, as well as Iceland standout Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir — giving the brand-new pro league a chance to flex its potential at the international level.
NSL sets full 2025 calendar, snags top broadcast partners
The inaugural NSL season will see all six clubs playing 25 regular-season matches for a league total of 75 matches. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver will contend 12 of their matches at home, while Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax scored 13 games in front of their home crowds.
At the end of regular-season play, the top four teams on the NSL table will qualify for the league's two-leg semifinals. After the home-and-away semis, the two clubs with the highest aggregate score will face-off in the league's first-ever championship match, set for November 15th.
All games will air across Canada via multiple broadcast partners, including TSN, which will broadcast 20 regular-season matches, and CBC, which will air eight. Both broadcasters will also make additional game available via their respective streaming platforms, CBC Gem and TSN+.