The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) announced it will begin its 2027 season on February 11 in Los Angeles, marking the earliest start in league history, about a month earlier than the 2026 kickoff [1, 2, 3]. The season opener will take place just three days before Super Bowl LXI, also hosted in Los Angeles, adding a major sports spotlight to the city [1, 2, 3].
The regular season will feature 16 teams playing a 30-game schedule each, totaling 240 matches, an expansion from the league's 12-team, 132-match format in 2023 [3]. The league will hold the annual Challenge Cup on February 6, 2027, featuring a match between the reigning NWSL champion and the Shield winner, though the venue has not yet been decided [3].
The 2027 campaign includes a seven-week summer break for the Women's World Cup, which runs from June 24 to July 25 in Brazil. The NWSL season will pause entirely during the tournament before resuming afterwards [1, 2, 3]. The regular season will conclude with "Decision Day" on October 31, followed by playoffs in early November leading to the championship game scheduled for November 20, 2027 [1, 2, 3].
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman highlighted efforts to integrate the league’s schedule with major US sports and media partners like ESPN. She said, "Inevitably, we will have overlap with competing properties. So it’s finding the places where we feel like we can find synergy and lean in, but then also carving out the spaces and times that we feel like are ownable." Berman also noted interest from media executives who believe the NWSL could "own the summer," with the 2027 season serving as an early test of that idea [3].
The shift in NWSL scheduling aligns the league more closely with major European soccer calendars and follows the recent overhaul of Major League Soccer's calendar starting in 2027 [1, 2, 3].
The league's expansion from 12 to 16 teams and the increase in regular-season matches from 132 to 240 since 2023 demonstrate its rapid growth and ambition [3]. The next key date is the Challenge Cup on February 6, followed by the regular season beginning February 11 in Los Angeles.
