NWSL Eliminates Draft, Boosts Pay as New CBA Overhauls League

The NWSL is eliminating its annual draft, increasing pay and effectively granting no-trade clauses to players across the league, all part of the new labor accord that was quietly ratified earlier this month.

The deal includes some of the most player-centric language of any labor accord in major U.S. team sports, and notably shifts the NWSL toward the more traditional soccer player contracts often seen in Europe. Starting next year, for example, any trades or transfers will require player consent. All contracts will be guaranteed.

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The details highlight just how quickly the NWSLPA has been able to secure gains as the league’s commercial opportunities (and valuations) have quickly increased. The NWSL’s current CBA, signed in April 2022, was the first in league history. The NWSL had its first free agency period just two years ago; now all players have been granted unrestricted free agency.

The deal was negotiated over the past year, despite the league’s current CBA not expiring until after the 2026 season (Sportico was first to report that a deal had been reached). The agreement now expires at the end of the 2030 season, a critical extension for league owners. Players are getting obvious gains in a number of critical categories, but owners are securing labor peace well past their next major media negotiations, stability that will prove valuable in a few years as those conversations begin.

“This CBA gives us agency over our business and gives the players agency over their careers,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement.

The NWSL’s rapid commercial growth is well-documented, but the league is also keeping a wary eye toward Europe, where some of soccer’s biggest brands are starting to invest more in their long-ignored women’s sides. The NWSL and the Women’s Super League in England are increasingly competing for talent, a business rivalry that many expect will grow more direct in the coming years. Shortly after Chelsea beat NJ/NY Gotham FC earlier this week, the WSL’s official Twitter account posted: “Does that settle that debate then?” alongside a winking emoji.

Some of the details in this CBA—like the elimination of the draft, guaranteeing all player contracts and no-trade clauses—are all in line with what’s already offered in Europe. NWSL owners have agreed to align the league’s standard player contract with FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), pushing the league closer to soccer’s traditional structure and further from the more American-style framework seen in leagues like the NBA or MLS.

Here are some other details from the new CBA:

• The league’s base salary cap will jump from $2.75 million this year to $3.3 million next year. It will continue to rise at pre-set levels throughout the deal, up to $5.1 million in 2030.

• In addition to the base cap, the league has agreed to a supplement as a function of the NWSL’s media and sponsorship revenue from the prior year. While specifics were not disclosed, the revenue-sharing piece is a first for the league and should foster increased alignment between the two sides.

• The league minimum will jump from $35,000 this season to $48,500 next season. It will increase each year up to $82,500 in 2030. That means minimum salaries will jump 135% in a seven-year span.

• Charter flights, currently outlawed outside of a few specific scenarios, will now be permitted for up to six legs within a season, plus other unspecified scenarios. Last year the league fined the Kansas City Current over $55,000 for unauthorized chartering.

• The NWSL will have the exclusive rights to commercialize player performance data.

• The bonus that players earn for awards, such as Rookie of the Year (currently $5,000) or Golden Boot ($5,000), will double in 2027. The bonus for league MVP ($5,000) will quadruple.

• Parental leave and childcare benefits are expanding, as are requirements regarding health professionals such as trainers and physical therapists.

• The new deal has no age limits for players, consistent with the current accord.

This CBA comes amid a surge in public interest for both women’s sports and the NWSL, which has dramatically impacted the market for teams. In January 2022, when the current deal was signed, most NWSL franchises were valued in the single-digit millions. Now the average team is worth $66 million, according to Sportico’s numbers. The San Diego Wave sold earlier this year for $113 million; Willow Bay and Bob Iger are buying a control stake in Angel City FC in a $250 million deal.

The league is also in the middle of expansion talks. Groups from multiple cities, including Cincinnati and Denver, met with the NWSL in New York this week. The last round of expansion teams sold for $53 million.

The NWSL’s quick extension, well before the current deal expires, could run in stark contrast to what may come for the WNBA, which is also experiencing commercial growth and an uptick in valuations. Most experts expect the league’s players to opt out of their current CBA as soon as they can in order to push for better terms. WNBPA boss Terri Carmichael Jackson offered a preview of those talks last month when she accused the NBA of undervaluing the WNBA in its most recent media talks.

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