NWSL to seek sanctioning for a second division
Fresh from the news that WPSL PRO will seek Division 2 sanctioning, Northern Lights Football has confirmed CBS Sports initial reporting that NWSL has approached US Soccer with their own D2 plans.
While the tier (and market restrictions) are the same for both proposals, NWSL Division 2 will begin life as a home for the reserve sides of the Division 1 clubs before “at some point” offering an alternative home for unaffiliated clubs – echoing the path trodden by MLS Next Pro in the men’s game.
The opening slate is 8 clubs who will all play at the same stadium as their existing team: Bay FC, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville, Seattle Reign and Washington Spirit.
In a statement to Northern Lights Football, the league said:
The National Women’s Soccer League has formally submitted an application and supporting documentation for a new Division II league to the United States Soccer Federation.As a global leader in the women’s soccer landscape both on and off the pitch, the NWSL and its member clubs are committed to growing our sport in meaningful ways. The demand for professional soccer has never been higher. We look forward to working to build a strong foundation for future generations of players, officials and coaches and ensure the continued advancement of the women’s game.
The structure of roster construction is expected to be focused on a pathway for young players to develop, providing an alternative to the present situation where players are variously loaned out, released or (occasionally) given playing time in a professional reserve side against the amateur clubs of the WPSL. Of those three, loaning seems to be the most wide spread (albeit often to USL Super League sides, who are supposedly the same level). Of the teams to take the last option, Chicago (Red) Stars notably had a reserve side dominate the WPSL North, Seattle Reign already have a reserve side in the WPSL Pac Northwest and Kansas City Current are/were slated to re-enter the WPSL in 2026.