New NWSL deal a ‘relief and joy’, Players Association boss says

NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke said the new collective bargaining agreement with the NWSL brought “relief and joy,” with the elimination of player drafts and amendments to parental leave and childcare benefits two of the key changes.

The new CBA went into effect on July 30 when it was approved by players, but not all provisions, like the new salary caps, will start in the middle of the season. Additionally, free agency begins on Sept. 1 this year, while it will start on July 1 in future seasons.

Burke said the results from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia was one of the catalysts for the new deal.

The [United States], Canada and Brazil, the countries that produce the largest number of internationals in our league, were knocked out prematurely in our view,” Burke said.

“They [NWSL] came to us and said ‘we acknowledge that some of the things you guys have been saying are undeniably true, the world is passing us by and we need to make significant changes if we’re going to keep up.'”

The removal of the player draft makes the NWSL the first major American professional sporting league not to have a draft, meaning players must consent to transfers.

“We heard horror stories from players who read about it [drafts] on Twitter, had to uproot their lives and make a cross country move on short notice. I think what’s important to acknowledge is people have lives, they’re not just one dimensional athletes,” Burke said.

“Both the no trade clause and the family building benefits acknowledge that there’s a lived experience in this league. It’s not just as simple as you show up and play soccer. Getting traded without your consent means you may not know it’s coming. It comes as a surprise.”

Burke said the family building benefits and expanded parental leave will give more freedom to players who want to have children.

“A lot of players do not have to choose between being a parent and a player. Being a working mum is difficult.

“I appreciate that the league was ready to make some substantial changes and provide some benefits that would make it possible for players either to have children while they’re playing or…. to be able to take measures now and take steps, for example freezing your eggs or looking at IVF or surrogacy, to be able to think about having children when your playing career is over.”

The league’s salary cap remains in place, although it will increase substantially. The salary cap will be comprised of two components, a base salary cap, and then an additional pool of funds based on the previous year’s media and sponsorship revenue.

The base salary cap will be $3.3 million in 2025, a 20% increase over the 2024 number of $2.75m. The base cap will then increase for each year of the CBA, with it reaching $5.1m in 2030.

Information from ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.