On Thursday afternoon the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced the competition framework for its 11th season, featuring a 176-game schedule — including the fourth installment of the reformatted Challenge Cup.
The 2023 season will begin on March 25, with preseason set to begin six to eight weeks before the opening weekend of games.
“Reaching our historic 10th season of play was a landmark moment for women’s professional soccer and the greater women’s sports community,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman.
“The growth of the NWSL is a testament to the league’s incredible athletes as well as the steadfast support of its fans, owners and stakeholders, and we look forward to building off last season’s momentum with another exciting season in 2023. I’m confident next year will provide an experience worthy of the world’s premier professional women’s soccer league.”
The landmark first-ever CBA, signed in 2022, and the NWSL rules allow for teams the flexibility to hold a six- to eight-week preseason camp opening as early as January 23 but no later than February 6 ahead of the 2023 regular season kickoff on Saturday, March 25, followed by the commencement of the Challenge Cup in April.
New Challenge Cup format
For the first time since its inception in 2020, the Challenge Cup will now run concurrently with the regular season. The six-match tournament will run from April until September, rather than take place before the regular season as it did in 2021 and 2022.
The new Challenge Cup will feature three groups of four teams playing double round-robin matches for a total of six matches. Following the group stage, four teams will advance into the semifinals on Wednesday, Sept. 6 ahead of the NWSL Challenge Cup Final on Saturday, Sept. 9.
The 2023 Challenge Cup will also be the first-ever women’s professional soccer tournament to achieve pay equity with its U.S. peers in the men’s game. This is the result of the historic partnership between NWSL and UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions for all people.
Full match breakdown
The 2023 season will once again be made up of a balanced 22-game home and away schedule. The 132-game regular season will be played over 22 weeks, eliminating mid-week matches to minimize schedule congestion for player safety and optimal physical performance.
The 2023 schedule has been formatted to limit the number of regular season games staged during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (July-Aug. 2023) to ensure the league’s top players can compete for both club and country with minimal conflicts.
In total, each team will play 28 matches between the regular season and the NWSL Challenge Cup, 14 games at home and 14 games on the road. This is the same as the 2022 season.
The full league schedule and broadcast details will be released at a later date.
When it comes to the postseason, for the third year in a row, six teams will qualify for the NWSL playoffs set to begin in late October with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. The quarterfinal round will be played on Oct. 22, followed by the semifinal round, set for Nov. 4.
The 2023 campaign will conclude with the NWSL Championship Final on Nov. 11.