Leagues:

WPSL
- WPSL
- WPSL U-21
- WPSL Elite?
UWS
- UWS
- UWS2
- UWSL Pro?
UPSL
- UPSL Women
USL
- USL Super Y League
- USL Academy
- USL W-League
- USL Super League
NISA
- WISL

With recent news that Protagonist Soccer would be expanding coverage to the USL2 in 2022, we thought it would also be pertinent to reconsider what women’s leagues to cover going forward as well. Currently, we only cover the UWS and WPSL and their various subsidiaries, but with the women’s soccer landscape growing as early as next season, so too will our coverage here at Protagonist Soccer as we move to expand coverage.

To assist readers in understanding what leagues currently are operating, and what leagues are soon to join, we thought we’d devise a cheat sheet, which we’ll update as new information emerges in the future.

Currently operating:

WPSL

Founded: 1998

Current champions: Pensacola FC (2019)

Teams: 135 active teams, give or take, with expansion teams planned for 2022

Sanctioned by: USASA

The WPSL’s main tier is made up of 135 active teams, give or take, with more expected before 2022. It operates in 4 regions with 17 conferences and 13 divisions.

WPSL U-21 began operating in 2021 in all 4 regions, with teams in 6 conferences. Most U-21 teams are operated by existing WPSL teams, with 16-20 additional teams expected to join in 2022 and acts as an academy/development/reserves league for most organizations.

Sources tell Protagonist Soccer that the WPSL is considering all options for a professional league of their own, but what that professional league could look like--and if they may partner with another org to achieve that end--remains to be seen. In 2012, after the WPS folded, the WPSL founded the WPSL Elite for teams-that were searching for a more competitive schedule. However, after the NWSL was established in 2013, teams such as the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, and Western New York Flash, to name a few, left and the WPSLE folded. The WPSL has been in the game of WoSo longer than any other league in the US and if they aspire for division 2 professional soccer, they have the most foundation and expertise in achieving it.

UWS

Founded: 2015

Current champions: SC Blue Heat (2021)

Sanctioned by: USASA

In 2015, the USL’s first go at a women’s league, the W-League, folded for no known reason and in the vacuum, UWS emerged. Formed by a combination of W-League and exWPSL teams who had their own vision for how a league should be run, they have grown quickly to 45 clubs in 6 conferences all across the country, with a new West conference made up of two Southern California teams, a team in Utah, and interestingly, two Canadian teams. They also were the only amateur women’s soccer league to hold a full playoff and championship. In 2020, they announced they would be fielding UWS League Two, a reserves league that today operates with 49 clubs and 6 conferences.

In April 2021, in partnership with NISA, UWS announced that they would be seeking USSF sanctioning for a true division 2 women’s league, the first of its kind in the US, with Carrie Taylor at the helm. The league was expected to start play in 2022. Although the partnership lasted all of three weeks, and Carrie left her position a month later, both clubs stated that they would “remain allies in pursuing equity in the women’s game.” UWS shared with Protagonist Soccer at the end of their season in July that they would be continuing on with their mission to receive USSF-sanctioning of a professional league and recently, we’ve learned that they’re aiming for division 3. The target date of their inaugural season is TBD.

Expected:

NISA/WISL

Expected inaugural year: 2023

Expected sanctioning by: USSF

Much of the information anyone has on WISL (of which there isn’t a lot) has already been said, due to the original partnership NISA had with WISL. But to add, we know now that Ron Patel, managing director of NISA Nation, is also the managing director of WISL. In an interview with Jeff Kassouf, he stated that more information will be provided by the end of the year, and that the expected start date for WISL is 2023, a year out from the original 2022 that Carrie gave Protagonist Soccer earlier this year. He also stated the compensation structure would be similar to NISA, where team budgets range from $200,000 to $400,000, and that currently four teams have signed on to be inaugural members. The only team we explicitly know of currently is NISA’s LA Force.

USL

Founded: 1995

Disbanded: 2015

Expected restart/inaugural year: 2022 (W-League) & 2023 (Super League)

Previous champions: Washington Spirit Reserves

Expected sanctioning by: USASA (W-League) & USSF (Super League)

If you’ve been a women’s soccer fan for a hot minute, you may remember the USL’s W-League. At its height, in 2008, it was 41 teams large, but quickly shrunk to just 18 teams as teams left for other leagues or folded, and in 2015, the W-League disbanded. Today, the only teams that still exist from that inaugural season are the California (Sacramento) Storm and San Francisco Nighthawks, both in the WPSL. Some of the best players in the world played for teams in the W-League, and if you look at the list of notable alumni for the Pali Blues, you might just find your favorite player.

The USL may have closed the chapter on their W-League brand but they didn’t close the book and with a surge in popularity for the sport in the US after the 2019 World Cup, they silently began a revamp. In late 2019, there were even rumors that the USL would make a bid for a women’s league and at the time, many felt this would be in direct competition with the NWSL. Nothing officially emerged until June 2021, ahead of the Olympics, when the USL announced the W-League would be returning in 2022. To date, 17 teams have already signed up to begin play in 2022, with most affiliated with current USL Championship, League One, and League Two teams and a few, such as the currently unnamed Minnesota WoSo team, independently owned. Minnesota WoSo also is the first women’s soccer team in the US that follows the community-owned model popularized by such teams as Detroit City FC and PDX FC, and have already announced their first partner and their search for a coach (a paid position!). The USL expects more than 30 teams will eventually sign up for the 2022 season.

If that wasn’t enough, the USL then announced in September 2021 that they would additionally be seeking sanctioning from USSF for a true division 2 league, the USL Super League. The initial reaction from most was “another league?” but to be fair, this league seems to have the best chance at actually receiving said sanctioning. Remember, Carrie Taylor stated in early 2021 that WISL would need to begin the application process in August 2021 in order to be able to play the following year. It seems that USL is well ahead of schedule for a 2023 inaugural year for it’s Super League.

The USL said in a statement that the league's compensation structure and professional standards will be consistent with the USL men's professional leagues, and that it is expected to double the number of professional women's soccer teams in the United States when the inaugural season begins. It would also be the first true pyramid in women’s soccer in the US, with a clear pathway from the bottom to the top, albeit for players and not for clubs. Said pathway includes the Girls Super Y League, the Girls USL Academy, the women's pre-professional USL W-League, and the women's professional USL Super League. Also of note, the USL Super League is the first women’s soccer league in the country not to use a gender signifier in the form of a “W,” to symbolize their drive for gender equality in the sport. Currently, no teams--independent or USL-affiliated--have announced their intentions of becoming an inaugural member of the Super League. More information is expected by the end of the year.