The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) commenced play in 2013,[1][2] and was the sole professional women's soccer league in the United States for over a decade. Though the National Independent Soccer Association and United Women's Soccer jointly attempted in the intervening period to form a second pro league,[3][4][5] the United Soccer League were the first to successfully launch one, with their Super League in 2024.[6][7] Meanwhile, the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) began plans for its own pro league, WPSL PRO, and initially sought for it Division 3 status from U.S. Soccer, the governing body of soccer in the United States.[8][9] Seeking stability for its flagship league amid this rapid growth of pro women's soccer in the United States, the NWSL established a new league to serve as a "transitional space" between college and pro soccer, aiming to foster a "space for clubs to build roster depth" modelled after the Minor League Baseball system, following the discontinuation of its college draft in 2024.[10][11][12]
In an effort to "meet a deadline", the NWSL applied to U.S. Soccer for Division 2 status for this new league in April 2025 – though the league's existence, and the application, were not made public knowledge until a CBS Sports news report disclosing the application was published a few weeks later.[11][13][14] Days prior to this revelation, the WPSL announced that it would instead be seeking Division 2 status for WPSL PRO, following Cleveland Pro Soccer's entry and investment into the league.[15][16][17] Cleveland Pro Soccer previously bid for a NWSL franchise, but lost to Denver NWSL, and sought an alternative means of commencing play.[18][19] At the time of the NWSL and WPSL's applications, U.S. Soccer required all clubs in a Division 2 league to have a home ground with a minimum capacity of 2,000, and a principal owner with a minimum net worth of US$7.5 million;[13][17] and at least half of the clubs based in markets with over 500,000 residents.[14] The NWSL seeks to meet these requirements by populating the league with reserve teams owned and operated by NWSL franchises, with which they would share infrastructure and resources,[14][20] however, some of the eight franchises named as charter members in the application to U.S. Soccer were not committed at the time, with concerns raised over the cost of operating a reserve team.[20]
The league's regular season would be played as a fourteen-game, double round robin, where each team plays the other seven teams twice – both at home and away. At the end of the regular season, the four best-performing teams qualify for a seeded, single-eliminationplayoff tournament, where the first-placed team plays the fourth-placed team, and second plays third. The winners advance to a final match that determines the league's champion for that season.[10][21]
^ ab"NWSL applies with USSF to launch D-II league". Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. April 25, 2025. Archived from the original on April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025. The NWSL has 'eight affiliated teams [...] slated to play at the same stadiums that the corresponding Division I teams play in.' The second tier will serve as a 'space for clubs to build roster depth with the college draft now abolished,
^ abcLinehan, Meg; Pelit, Asli (April 25, 2025). "NWSL submits application to U.S. Soccer for second division professional women's league". The Athletic. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025. To meet U.S. Soccer's Professional League Standards, the founding Division II teams would share infrastructure, staffing and common ownership with the existing NWSL teams. Multiple sources [...] said the paperwork was filed to meet a deadline rather than move forward with any concrete plans, [...] half based in metro areas of 500,000-plus...
^Silverman, Alex (April 16, 2025). "Cleveland eyes WPSL Pro after not getting in NWSL". Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved April 16, 2025. Cleveland was one of three finalists to receive an NWSL expansion franchise for the 2026 season alongside Denver and Cincinnati. When NWSL awarded its 16th franchise to Denver in January, Cleveland Soccer Group reexamined its plans for women's soccer.
^Griffin, Tamerra (April 16, 2025). "After failed NWSL bid, Cleveland Soccer Group looks to new opportunities in lower division". The Athletic. Archived from the original on April 18, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025. WPSL Pro fixes a problem in this country,' said Cleveland Soccer Group co-founder and CEO Michael Murphy. 'There are a lot of markets out there similar to Cleveland in that they want women's professional soccer, and here's an opportunity to bring it on a timeline and calendar that makes the most sense.
^ abcPelit, Asli; Linehan, Meg (April 26, 2025). "NWSL requested permission to start a new second division. What does it mean for women's soccer?". The Athletic. Archived from the original on April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025. However, not all of the teams listed in the proposal were on board before the information was submitted. Some of the pushback centered on the price of operating a second team. NWSL's proposal states that the second division would use infrastructure and share ownership as a way to qualify for U.S. Soccer's Professional League Standards, [...] NWSL's application language suggests that the league will welcome independent teams as well.
