A highly-anticipated vote this week by the NWSL Board of Governors on a calendar flip is now not expected to take place, according to a Monday report by CBS Sports.
On April 17, reports indicated that the board of governors would vote on the issue, but those went unconfirmed by the league.
Currently, the NWSL season runs from March to November. Top circuits in Europe start in late summer or early fall and end in late spring. MLS is making the transition to that format next season.
The NWSL board previously voted against a calendar shift in 2024, according to ESPN.
In a response to media inquiries, a league spokesman seemed to indicate the status quo regarding the schedule.
“The NWSL has been actively evaluating its competition calendar, including the potential to align more closely with the international soccer landscape,” a league spokesperson said in a statement to CBS Sports. “No decision has been made at this time. Any change of this magnitude will be thoughtfully considered and we are taking input from all key stakeholders.”
One of those stakeholder are the players, who responded through the NWSL Players Union a day after the April 17 ESPN report.
“We recognize the pros and cons of each and acknowledge that factors outside our control — including the Women’s International Match Calendar and limited control over facilities — are driving this conversation,” began the statement given to The Athletic.
“We remain concerned, however, that the issue is being framed around the wrong question. The right question is not whether the league should flip the calendar, but whether the right conditions exist to do so responsibly. Right now, they do not. The ability to navigate weather-related disruptions depends on consistent control over facilities and operational flexibility across clubs, and that standard has not been met league-wide.
“Our top priorities in any scenario are protecting and promoting Player health, safety, and performance. As a general matter, a majority of Players polled on this question currently oppose flipping the calendar.”
Although the NWSL has complete authority to alter the schedule to fall-to-spring, the league’s CBA with the union specifies that the league is required to provide the union at least one year’s notice.
Moreover, since many franchise are in the northeast and the schedule would include playing in winter months, the CBA would require the league to implement an “extreme cold policy.”
–Field Level Media
