Growth seems to be the only constant for the National Women’s Soccer League. Launched with just eight teams nearly 13 years ago, the league is now on track to feature over 16 teams by 2026—with “no reason” not to expect that number to surpass 30 eventually. But the evolution isn’t limited to just the NWSL. Its stakeholders have now unveiled bold, innovative plans that could be the perfect step toward filling the long-standing youth soccer void in the U.S. women’s domestic scene.

That project, ladies and gentlemen, is none other than the creation of a Division II league below NWSL. As per the latest reports from ESPN FC, the Commissioner Jessica Berman-led league has sent a formal proposal to the US Soccer Federation regarding the creation of a second-tier league by the beginning of 2026. Seeing themselves as a “global leader in the women’s soccer landscape both on and off the pitch,” the NWSL and its member clubs view this as a prime opportunity to grow the women’s game in “meaningful ways.”

“The demand for professional soccer has never been higher. We look forward to working to build a strong foundation for future generations of players, officials, and coaches and ensure the continued advancement of the women’s game,” a spokesperson from the NWSL commented.

Notably, a report from CBS Sports stated that eight teams have already made reservations for the Division II league. This is a promising start, as at least six teams were required for the league’s sanctioning. Moving forward, all remaining clubs will also be required to establish an affiliated second-tier team within the first four years. In fact, rumor has it that teams beyond the current NWSL infrastructure could potentially be part of the second division.

As for the criteria, each Division II team must have a stadium with a minimum capacity of 2,000 and a principal owner with a net worth of around $7.5 million. Most first-tier teams appear to exceed these requirements, boasting stronger infrastructure and wealthier ownership.

Interestingly, the proposal of Division II comes just days after WPSL Pro was announced to be launched as a secondary league to the NWSL. Though the original idea was to introduce it as a third division, the stakeholders ultimately decided to ‘scale up and fill a gap in U.S. Soccer’s pyramid’ for the next thing after the first division.

Furthermore, Cleveland Soccer Group is touted to spearhead the WPSL Pro launch after having failed to secure the NWSL’s 16th franchise spot in Denver. They are also ready to splurge a whopping $50 million on a 10,000-seater dedicated stadium. In fact, Cleveland would be among the 15 teams that will debut in the WPSL Pro by paying a $1 million franchise fee.

Scheduled to run from April to October, the league won’t kick off before the upcoming 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, as stakeholders are targeting a potential 2027 launch—one year after the proposed Division II debut. Then again, both the WPSL Pro and the NWSL D-2 league will require a green flag from the USSF. And if it does, then expect it to end the biggest problems of the American women’s soccer landscape.

NWSL is finally addressing the biggest void in women’s soccer

If both the WPSL Pro and the NWSL Division II receive the necessary sanctioning from the USSF, the number of women’s professional teams could rise significantly—reaching around 50 by 2026, compared to just 12 in 2023. Likewise, one shouldn’t be surprised to see how two divisions will be earning a second-tier status. That’s because there’s nothing in U.S. Soccer regulations that prohibits having more than one primary domestic league at the same tier.

No wonder that the USL Super League—originally intended to operate as a lower-tier league beneath the NWSL—secured first-division status, positioning itself as a direct rival despite currently featuring just eight teams. Yet, the talking point is that NWSL’s D-2 league marks the long-anticipated launch of a second division in women’s soccer that would result in the inception of a youth pipeline that many NWSL executives have referred to as the need of the hour. It was something that Commissioner Jessica Berman had hinted at earlier.

“It’s not as if the players aren’t there; they are there,” Berman told ESPN. “They need to be identified, they need to be in the right technical environment, they need to be invested in and developed in an age- appropriate way that allows for them to ultimately graduate into what we need for our teams as we continue to scale, and what the U.S. national team needs as well.” While Berman conceded that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” for a successful development program, strategic investments for cultivating talent are the way forward for expansions.

Be that as it may, it seems a lot is on the agenda for the NWSL regarding its expansion plans. And we are all excited for it.