Most NWSL players currently oppose potential calendar switch

The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association says that a majority of players are currently opposed to a potential switch of the league’s calendar to a fall-spring season.

ESPN reported on Thursday that the NWSL Board of Governors is expected to vote later this month on whether to flip the calendar from its current state, which sees the season start in February or March and end in November, to a season that would begin in late summer and end in late spring. Such a change, which MLS will implement next year, would inevitably put more games in cold conditions.

“The NWSLPA has engaged our Board of Player Representatives and broader membership on the question of whether NWSL should shift from a spring-to-fall to a fall-to-spring calendar,” the NWSLPA said in a statement provided to ESPN. “We recognize the pros and cons of each and acknowledge that factors outside our control — including the Women’s International Match Calendar and limited control over facilities — are driving this conversation.

“We remain concerned, however, that the issue is being framed around the wrong question. The right question is not whether the league should flip the calendar, but whether the right conditions exist to do so responsibly. Right now, they do not. The ability to navigate weather-related disruptions depends on consistent control over facilities and operational flexibility across clubs, and that standard has not been met league-wide.

“Our top priorities in any scenario are protecting and promoting Player health, safety, and performance. As a general matter, a majority of Players polled on this question currently oppose flipping the calendar.”

The NWSL’s board has debated changing the season footprint for at least three years, and a flip of the calendar was narrowly voted down in late 2024, ESPN previously reported. Intense debate over the topic has continued within league circles, and there may now be enough momentum in the boardroom to make the change, sources said. Any potential vote is expected to be closely contested.

Ultimately, the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the union states that “the NWSL retains the discretion to make the format change.”

“The NWSL has been actively evaluating its competition calendar, including the potential to align more closely with the international soccer landscape,” an NWSL spokesperson said in a statement to ESPN on Friday. “No decision has been made at this time. Any change of this magnitude will be thoughtfully considered and we are taking input from all key stakeholders.”

The league is required to give at least one year’s notice to the NWSLPA if it intends to switch to a fall-to-spring format. After that, the CBA calls for the league and the union to form a scheduling committee and allow for NWSLPA input, as well as bargain over necessary changes that conflict with the current CBA.

The NWSL Board of Governors is scheduled to meet later this month, when another vote on the matter could take place.

MLS owners voted in November to flip the calendar and mirror Europe. MLS will make the transition by playing an abbreviated “sprint season” next spring before switching to a full season for 2027-28. MLS will begin its new seasons in July, take a winter break from mid-December through early February, and finish the playoffs in late May.

The MLS Players Association has not yet approved the league’s proposal for the switch, which the union believes is required, sources previously told ESPN.

Even if the NWSL votes to flip its calendar, implementing the change could take years.

There are natural breaks in the calendar for the NWSL to attempt a transition. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be in Los Angeles (and the Olympics soccer event spread across the U.S.) and the 2031 Women’s World Cup is expected to be primarily hosted in the United States, although the formal approval of that uncontested bid has been delayed by FIFA.

ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.