When news broke of the NWSL’s application to form a Division II league, the one question that did not need to be answered was why. Commissioner Jessica Berman made it public knowledge over the last few months that investing in the pathway from the youth levels to the professional game would be a priority in the NWSL’s next chapter of growth, and few need to be convinced that there is room for improvement in the current American women’s soccer landscape. Look no further than the fact that there presently are no Division II leagues for women in the U.S., nor any true reserve leagues that have long been the preferred avenue for young talents to transition to the big leagues.
Identifying a glaring need, though, is different than successfully filling a gaping hole in the player development process. How the NWSL plans to get this Division II league off the ground is equally as important, if not more important, as why it feels the need to do so. The application answers some questions, mainly that they plan to have eight Division I teams on board for the inaugural season in 2026 and the rest by 2030. Other details, be they about compensation, the impact on the NWSL’s plans to expand and how closely it resembles…
