The NWSL and the NWSL Players Association announced A new historic collective agreement (CBA) on Thursday that will include guaranteed contracts, no more player drafts and increased minimum salaries, among many new benefits.
He agreementwhich came into force on July 30, will extend until the 2030 season.
“Given our vision to be the best league in the world, we decided the time was right to align with global standards and achieve long-term labor peace. This CBA gives us power over our business and gives players power over their careers,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. “Our new agreement revolutionizes the game, raises standards and innovates the business. On behalf of our Board of Governors, I want to thank our players and their representative leadership at the NWSLPA for working together to make this possible.”
The parties reached an agreement two years before the current CBA expired.
NWSL college and expansion drafts eliminated
The NWSL will be the first major professional sports league in the U.S. to eliminate college and expansion drafts and allow players to go directly to unrestricted free agency.
“The draft is an antiquated model that allows teams to decide for players rather than players deciding for themselves,” said NWSLPA President Tori Huster. “Now, players can choose the team environment that fits their needs and maximizes their opportunities. Teams will need to step up to create environments that attract players.”
In addition to full, unrestricted free agency, players will have the power to veto trades in which they are involved.
There will still be a salary cap that all teams must adhere to, but there will be two components going forward. The base salary cap will be $3.3 million for the 2025 season, which represents a 20% increase over the $2.75 million salary cap for this season. The base salary cap will increase annually over the term of the new CBA, and the cap will reach $5.1 million for the 2030 season, the final year of this agreement.
2025:3.3 million dollars
2026:3.5 million dollars
2027:4.4 million dollars
2028:4.7 million dollars
2029:4.9 million dollars
2030:5.1 million dollars
The other component of the salary cap will be a pool that will be based on revenue from sponsorship and media deals from the previous year. The revenue portion of the salary cap is expected to see an increase of $200,000 by 2025.
Minimum player salaries will rise from $48,500 in 2025 to $82,500 in 2030. The current minimum is $37,856. There will be no cap on an individual player’s maximum annual salary.
Award bonuses for the NWSL Shield and Championship winners, Best XI, Rookie of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and NWSL Golden Boot will double from $5,000 to $10,000 beginning with the 2027 season. The league Most Valuable Player award bonus will quadruple from $5,000 to $20,000.
Players will enjoy expanded maternity and paternity leave and child care benefits, as well as mental health services and mental health leave policies. The team’s medical staff will increase from six to 10 members.
Free agency will begin on September 1 of this season and on July 1 starting in 2025.
