The 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season is in the books, punctuated by a gripping championship game that finally had the fanfare expected from a major event. The event set a new bar for a league still growing into its big-time era. Now what?
More specifically, where next? The NWSL Championship has been developed into the (clearly much more modest version of) the league’s Super Bowl, with a predetermined host site staging the game and the surrounding events. This year, there were parties, increased media presence, and a significantly scaled-up fan festival before the match.
All of that requires planning, a skill that has historically failed the NWSL. Commissioner Jessica Berman has repeatedly indicated that the format of selecting a predetermined host is likely to remain for the foreseeable future.