What We Know About The 2023 NWSL Season

The structure of the 2023 season for the National Women’s Soccer League began coming into view this week, even with free agency in full swing before 2022 is out.

As free agents, notably Kelley O’Hara, begin signing with new teams (in O’Hara’s case, to Gotham FC and its defense-starved roster), the league announced both its 2023 draft date and the footprint of its season to follow.

The 2023 NWSL Draft will take place on January 12 in Philadelphia. But unlike many past drafts built to run dayside, and without television broadcasts, this one begins at 6 PM ET, and can be viewed on both CBS Sports Network and Paramount Plus.

Notably, this collaboration with CBS comes amid continued negotiations for long-term television rights with NWSL, which ended at the final whistle of the 2022 NWSL finals. It could provide insight into a continued cooperation between the two sides amid the league’s efforts to exponentially increase the three-year, $4.5 million deal just completed. (No industry observers expect that to be an issue — the question is more “by how many times will it increase”.)

In addition to the January 9 deadline for players 18 or older to register, the league has established a protocol for those under 18 wishing to enter the league. Teams can select up to two of these players to sign through the season that player turns 18, within 30 days of being added to the list, and that player must occupy a full roster spot. In many ways, this is patterned after the Rule 5 Draft in Major League Baseball.

As for the season itself, the strong work of the NWSLPA is apparent in the new structure. The Challenge Cup runs concurrent to the season, not before it, while preseason can be no shorter than six or longer than eight weeks ahead of the March 25, 2023 opener. The Challenge Cup will have a group stage, followed by knockout rounds.

And the season itself? 22 weeks, no midweek regular season games scheduled, a balanced schedule to offer no advantages geographically. Six teams will make the playoffs, the top two receiving byes, with quarterfinals on October 22, semifinals on November 4, and a championship on November 11.

If knowing when the championship game of NWSL is happening almost a full calendar year ahead of time doesn’t feel like a luxury to you, you probably haven’t been covering this league for very long.

As to the other callback to past seasons — the unknown broadcast partner or schedule — that, too, is progress. No one is sitting here wondering if NWSL will even have a television partner. The only questions are A) Who will it be and B) How much money will they have to pony up for a highly valuable property.

And the number of teams is in question, too, but not due to folding, but rather, from a transparent expansion process that is expected to yield two new franchises by the end of the year.

Buckle up: there’s a lot more to come in NWSL world.