Majority of NWSL players oppose calendar flip, cite concerns over cold-weather conditions

The NWSL is required to give the union at least one year's notice if it intends to switch to a fall-to-spring format. Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images Share articleA majority of National Women’s Soccer League players currently oppose switching the season calendar to a fall-to-spring format, the NWSL Players Union said late Friday. The statement comes on the heels of ESPN reporting Thursday that the NWSL Board of Governors is expected to vote later this month on whether to flip the calendar from its usual spring-to-fall format to a season that would run from late summer to late spring. The calendar change is on the agenda for the next board meeting, which will take place the last week of April, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting who spoke with The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private. If the board approves the change, it would align the NWSL calendar with European leagues and follow Major League Soccer’s decision to flip its calendar next year. MLS’ decision came after years of analysis, from weather patterns to broadcasting windows, and back and forths over the league’s long-term direction. “It is one of the most important decisions in our league history,” commissioner Don Garber told reporters at the time of the announcement. As for the NWSL, a fall-spring season would likely mean more matches played in cold conditions for some markets, including the two new franchises, Boston and Denver, as well as New York and Kansas City. While the move could impact attendance in these markets, the league’s marquee playoff season will move to a broadcast-friendly spring window, away from the NFL and college football in the fall. The NWSL’s four-year $240 million broadcast deal with CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps (ION) has significantly increased visibility and revenue since it kicked off in 2024. But the league still struggles to compete with U.S. sports giants. Last year’s NWSL championship game on CBS averaged 967,900 viewers in prime time on Saturday, making it the most-watched NWSL game in league history; however, the college football game between Alabama and Oklahoma secured 6.98 million viewers in the same time slot, spotlighting the massive challenge NWSL endures. “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 players’ union said in a statement to The Athletic on Friday. “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.” When reached Friday, an NWSL spokesperson said, “The NWSL has been actively evaluating its competition calendar, including the potential to align more closely with the international soccer landscape. 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 debate to flip the calendar has been ongoing for years among NWSL leaders and American soccer. In the United States, the USL Super League, also a Division I women’s league like the NWSL, operates in a fall-to-summer format. The league, however, is only in its second season and is significantly smaller in scale than the 14-year-old NWSL. While any change to the NWSL season’s format can be made at the sole direction of the league, the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NWSLPA outlines what must happen if a calendar flip were to take place. The league is required to give the union at least one year’s notice if it intends to switch to a fall-to-spring format. The CBA also requires the formation of a scheduling committee for union input and calls for bargaining should any proposed changes conflict with the CBA’s current terms. The CBA also requires the league to establish an “extreme cold policy” with union input in the case of any season format changes. But the NWSL retains sole discretion over its implementation. Last year, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said the league is “on notice” and continued conversations about the potential calendar flip. More recently, in a preseason news conference last month at the NWSL’s new headquarters in Manhattan, Berman said the league was “analyzing” flipping the calendar. “This topic, as in the calendar, is probably one of the more important strategic decisions that any professional league has to analyze, when we think about how we have to live in a very delicate and symbiotic relationship between the professional leagues and the national teams,” Berman said last month. “The current Women’s International match calendar runs through 2029, and so we’re taking that into account as we think about what our future state looks like. No decision has been made about what we might do, and we’ll continue to consider it with our board.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms