What the Historic New NWSL CBA Means for the League and Players

August 27, 2024
By Rohtas Wadera

History was made when no one said it could be done. The NWSL Players Association (NWSL PA) has pulled off an incredible feat by truly giving power to the players through the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The league, owners, and players come together to decide on various things, such as contracts, revenue sharing, free agency, etc. Many people were skeptical that the NWSL PA would be able to make this happen due to the money and support of the NWSL, but as the sport’s popularity exploded, the door was opened for this historic deal to happen. Let’s review what this new NWSL CBA deal means for the league and its future.

Salary Cap and Minimum Salary Increase With Revenue Sharing

For the longest time, women’s pro players have had to maintain another full-time job outside of their responsibilities as professional athletes. Within the next few years, this will no longer be necessary. The minimum salary will go up from $37,856 this year to $48,500, steadily increasing to $82,500 by 2030. It will take a few years, but to be getting 80K as a minimum salary means players will no longer have to take jobs outside of soccer; they can dedicate all their time to being a pro, which is a watershed moment for these women. The salary cap is increasing from $3.3 million next year to $5.1 million, allowing teams to add stars and handle bigger contracts over time. This is possible mainly because of the money the NWSL will make from sponsorships and media rights deals. The players will get a piece of that money through the salary increase.

Elimination of NWSL Draft

The NWSL Draft will cease to exist, a massive development for the NWSL. Players will now have the choice to choose where they want to go through Free Agency. Soccer is the only sport worldwide that doesn’t have a draft, excluding the MLS, and because of how the game is set up, it makes a lot more sense for the players to choose. American sports are different, and the draft is a requirement because of how good the college game is. NCAA Women’s College Soccer is still great, but an entire international pool of players can also join the league. European teams were benefiting greatly by being able to sign players whenever they wanted; now, NWSL teams can do the same.

Guaranteed Contracts

Guaranteed contacts are huge for the league because of how physically demanding the game is. If any player gets a long-term injury, like the dreaded ACL tear, whatever money they’ve signed for is guaranteed to them, offering another layer of protection. The idea of incentive-based contacts is a thing of the past, and the players have far more security now.

No Trades Without Player Consent

This has become a big talking point across all sports, and it’s one thing that will make women’s soccer stand out from all men’s professional sports in a big way. The common story is that players find out they’ve been traded either during a game, during the draft, on social media, or the news. Teams haven’t had common decency to let the player know they’ve been traded. In a massive move for player empowerment, players can block a trade they don’t like if this happens. Taking the power away from the front office to trade players at whim is huge. It will create a significant shift in how business is done moving forward.

Workload Management

As the league expands and the number of games increases, the players’ bodies will be under even more stress. This will include at least three round-trip chartered flights on weekends and a set amount for midweek games. Plus, everyone will be given a midseason break and at least 28 days off in the offseason. Player injuries have run rampant in women’s soccer. The NWSL, playing over the summer in hotter temperatures, makes it even more difficult on the body. This is a huge step in mitigating the number of injuries players deal with and is the right move, as the league will add more teams within the next five years.

Based on this new CBA, women’s soccer and the NWSL will look completely different over the next few years. It’s a revolutionary deal that will change the landscape for the better. The quality of the NWSL product will only go up. More fans will come to games, and the revenue should also start to increase. This is the deal that makes the NWSL players true professionals and legitimizes women’s soccer as one of the premier sports in the world.

Featured image via @nwsl on Instagram