Oct. 9 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) plans to expand to 20 teams and more, commissioner Jessica Berman (pictured) said Thursday.
The league has 16 teams this season after the addition of Boston Legacy and Denver Summit. Atlanta and Columbus arrive in 2028, paying record fees of $165 million and $205 million respectively.
“We are about to open our data room for teams 19 and 20 because we intend to continue to expand,” Berman told the Leaders Week conference in London.
“We’ve decided, given the scale of the league at this point, that we’ll make decisions when we feel the market is ready to come in.”
The data room will give potential owners access to the league’s finances. There is no deadline for awarding the following two franchises.
The growth in rates has been remarkable. Boston paid $53 million in 2023 and Denver $110 million in 2025. Columbus’ price tag is nearly four times Boston’s three years later. The Atlanta and Columbus incoming groups are tied to the owners of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns.
For many, sustainability is the unknown.
Berman believes the lawsuit backs that up. “I don’t think 20 is the maximum, I think 20 is the next touch point,” he said. “Whenever we look at expansion, we assess the dynamics of supply and demand and make sure that demand remains high, and that’s certainly the case today.”
He pointed to the NFL, NBA and NHL, all with at least 30 teams. “Our country is the size of a continent,” he said. “It won’t happen tomorrow, but our vision is to be able to compete at the national level.”
There are warning signs, however. Racing Louisville’s owners have sought new investment amid talk of a move, a reminder that not all existing clubs are thriving while new ones are paying record prices. Expansion fees bring in money now, but each new team takes a share of future revenue.
Berman also dismissed concerns that the expansion would dilute quality. “These players have just been training, playing and waiting for an opportunity to play in a professional league,” he said.
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