The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has officially laid groundwork for launching a Division II league in 2026 to boost player development.
The Athletic has corroborated the existence of the documents initially reported by CBS Sports, which confirm that NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman sent a letter to U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson on April 1, submitting its sanctioning application for a Division II women’s soccer league. The commissioner wrote that having a Division II league was “essential for the development and sustainability” of the NWSL.
As first reported by CBS Sports, the proposal describes the Division II league as a developmental place for college and younger players to get experience with “technical, tactical, and mental demands” of top professional soccer.
The eight teams initially involved with the proposed Division II league would be affiliated with the North Carolina Courage, Kansas City Current, Racing Louisville, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, Bay FC, Seattle Reign and Washington Spirit. The NWSL intends to have all Division I clubs operating a Division II team within the first four years, according to the documents.
To meet U.S. Soccer’s Professional League Standards, the founding Division II teams would share infrastructure, staffing and…
