NWSL Division 2
NWSL Division 2 is the colloquial name for a professional women's soccer league proposed by the National [Women's Soccer League], which would operate in the second tier of the United States league system. Envisioned as a farm league for NWSL franchises to recruit and foster talent following the discontinuation of the NWSL Draft, and to stabilize the NWSL's place amid a rapid growth of pro women's soccer in the United States, the Division 2 league would commence play in 2026 with eight reserve teams of NWSL franchises. Its regular season would consist of a double round-robin schedule followed by a championship-determining playoff tournament for the top four teams. Alongside WPSL PRO, the two leagues would become the first professional minor leagues in Women's soccer in [the United States|American women's soccer].
History
The National Women's Soccer League commenced play in 2013, and was the sole professional women's soccer league in the United States for over a decade. Though the National Independent Soccer Association and United Women's Soccer jointly attempted to form a second pro league, the United Soccer League were the first to successfully launch one, with their Super League in 2024. The Women's Premier Soccer League also began plans for a pro league, WPSL Pro, and initially sought for it Division 3 status from U.S. Soccer, the governing body of soccer in the United States. Seeking stability for its flagship league amid this rapid growth of pro women's soccer in the United States, the NWSL established a new league to serve as a "transitional space" between college soccer and the NWSL following the discontinuation of its college draft in 2024, aiming to foster a "space for clubs to build roster depth" modelled after Minor League Baseball.| Div. 1 | National Women's Soccer League |
| Div. 1 | USL Super League |
| Div. 2 | NWSL Division 2 |
| Div. 2 | WPSL Pro |
In an effort to "meet a deadline", the NWSL applied for Division 2 status for the league in April 2025, though the league's existence was not publicized until a CBS Sports report disclosing the application was published a few weeks later. Days prior to this revelation, the WPSL announced that it would be seeking Division 2 status for WPSL Pro, following Cleveland Pro Soccer's entry and investment into the league. Cleveland Pro Soccer had bid for a NWSL franchise, but lost to Denver Summit FC, and sought an alternative means of commencing play. At the time of the NWSL and WPSL's applications, U.S. Soccer required all clubs in a Division 2 league to have a venue capacity over 2,000, and a principal owner with a net worth over US$7.5 million; and at least half of the clubs based in markets with over 500,000 residents. The NWSL seeks to meet these requirements by populating the league with reserve teams owned by NWSL franchises, with which infrastructure and resources would be shared. However, some of the eight franchises named as charter members in the application were not committed at the time, having raised concerns about the cost of operating a reserve team.