On Thursday, the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) and NWSL announced their new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), with the agreement laying out major implications for the league, its growth, and its players.
Less than two years into the NWSL’s first-ever CBA (ratified in 2022), the expanding league invited the NWSLPA to renegotiate last fall. The original CBA raised minimum salaries, introduced free agency, set safety and health standards, and provided player housing and transportation.
The new CBA runs through 2030, with a performance-based reopening trigger to ensure future revenue is equitably shared.
CBA makes NWSL the first pro US league to eliminate drafts
The most significant changes in today’s agreement revolve around career choice, starting with the elimination of both college and expansion drafts.
The NWSL is the first pro US sports league to grant incoming athletes control over their placement, establishing a system more akin to the college recruiting process. According to the terms, players will automatically become free agents once their current contracts expire and can no longer be traded without prior consent.
Workload management — including guaranteed breaks and new travel and scheduling models — was also addressed.
In addition to minimum base salary requirements, teams now must divert a percentage of their revenue toward player compensation.
NWSL growth key to new NWSLPA bargaining agreement
Given the NWSL’s $240 million media rights deal and record-breaking team valuations, the NWSLPA is continuing to ensure the league passes along those gains, from doubling the salary cap last January to today’s renegotiated CBA.
The deal also offers the NWSL the ability to lead the pro sports charge when it comes to transparency and putting players first.
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