January 2025 will look different for NCAA women’s soccer players looking to continue their careers in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the only professional league for women’s soccer in the United States.
On Aug. 22, the NWSL and Players Association (NWSLPA) announced a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, in place until 2030, that will eliminate the college draft among other changes. NWSL is the first major American professional sports league to abolish the college draft.
So what does this mean for the future of NCAA women’s soccer players looking to go pro?
Well, that’s largely up to the players, both in the league and looking to join. The absence of the college draft creates a major shift in the club-to-player relationship and frankly, only time will reveal what this change will look like. In the meantime, here are some facts to know:
The history between NWSL and NCAA women’s soccer
The first NWSL College Draft was in 2013 where 32 NCAA student-athletes were picked across four rounds. Most recently, 56 NCAA women’s soccer players were picked in the 2024 NWSL College draft — the league’s largest draft class to date. In the decade-long span, nearly 500 NCAA…
