The National Women’s Soccer League is looking to add two more expansion teams, commissioner Jessica Berman said Thursday.
Sixteen clubs are competing during the current 2026 campaign, with expansion franchises Atlanta and Columbus coming aboard in 2028.
“We’re about to open our data room for teams 19 and 20 because we intend to continue expanding,” Berman said at the Leaders Week London conference, per The Athletic. “We’ve decided, given the scale of the league at this point, that we’ll make decisions when we feel like the market is ready to come in.”
The financial data room allows potential investors to analyze the league’s economic situation and do the math before deciding to pursue a team. Atlanta and Columbus paid record expansion fees of $165 and $205 million, respectively.
Berman, who has been the commissioner since 2022, said there was not a specific deadline for awarding the NWSL’s next two franchises.
“We want to get through the season, update all that financial information and put our best foot forward because there’s a lot of great stories to tell from a business and financial perspective,” she said.
The rapidly growing league added the Boston Legacy and Denver Summit this season as the 15th and 16th members.
Berman pointed to other professional leagues in the U.S. that have 30 or more teams as a potential blueprint for expansion.
“I don’t think 20 is the max, I think 20 is the next touch point,” she said. “Anytime we look at expansion, we evaluate the supply-demand dynamic and make sure that demand continues to be high, and that certainly is the case today.”
“Our country is the size of a continent,” Berman added. “It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but it is our vision to be able to compete on a national basis. In order for us to do that, we need to have a presence across the country.”
She rejected concerns that expansion could dilute the level of play and quality of competition.
“These players have just been training, playing and waiting for an opportunity to play in a professional league,” she said. “We’re excited to build the scale that gives more players that opportunity.”
–Field Level Media
