Report: NWSL 2027 season to have an early start

DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 02: Players and match officials line up on the pitch prior to the NWSL match between Denver Summit FC and Boston Legacy FC at Centennial Stadium on August 02, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Bart Young/NWSL via Getty Images) | NWSL via Getty Images

According to a report from ESPN , the NWSL is planning to kick off next season earlier than usual due to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The kickoff is set for February 11 in Los Angeles – taking place only a couple of days before the Super Bowl 2027.

The league is planning to take a seven-week break due to the international tournament while trying to fit a 30-game schedule for 2027. The first game next season is planned to take place at BMO Stadium, with Angel City as hosts, while Super Bowl XLI will take place at SoFi Stadium, also in California.

“Given the realities of the match calendar in 2027, we tried to think through if we’re playing on Super Bowl weekend, how do we try to be a part of the conversation and not separate the sports world, but just aggregate it more around that area?” said Carlin Hudson, the NWSL’s vice president of strategy and one of the primary employees in the schedule-making process.

If everything goes according to plan, next year will be the first time the season starts as early as February. So far, the earliest game played in NWSL happened in 2025 with the Challenge Cup kicking off on March 7. As for the end of the season, it is set to end on October 31 with Decision Day and the playoffs kicking off on November 6.

As for preseason, it is planned to start between January 2 and January 7. This will be the shortest NWSL offseason ever, since the Championship final is set for November 21. That means only six weeks will separate both events. NWSL Challenge Cup will be played on February 6 and will pit the Shield winners against the Championship winners.

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