Players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) are now granted unrestricted free agency, eliminating the draft system.

• The NWSL and NWSL Players Association have reached an agreement to abolish the draft and grant all players free agency.
• In contrast to many other sports, we participate in a worldwide competition for skilled workers, as stated by NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in an interview with CNBC.
• The new CBA, announced on Thursday, increases the minimum salary from $48,500 in 2025 to $82,500 by 2030.

Major professional U.S. sports have seen an unprecedented move with the agreement between the National Women's Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association to eliminate the draft and grant free agency to all players.

The new collective bargaining agreement, extending the current contract to 2030, aimed to give players more control over their playing locations, potentially aiding in the recruitment of top-level athletes globally.

"Unlike many other sports, we compete in a global labor market for talent, so we must remove the artificial barrier to attract, retain, and develop the best players in the world, according to NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in an interview with CNBC."

The new CBA, announced on Thursday, increases the league minimum salary from $48,500 in 2025 to $82,500 by 2030. Additionally, the base salary cap goes from $3.3 million in 2025 to $5.1 million in 2030. Players will have no salary cap, and teams will have the discretion to allocate salaries.

The CBA enables the salary cap to rise in future seasons through the league's revenue-sharing model, which could result in more sponsorship and media deals for players.

"Berman stated that we want the individuals to have a stake in the game, so they understand that they will also gain from the growth."

The recent increase in attendance, viewership, and team valuations highlights the growth of NWSL.

In a deal that valued Angel City FC at $250 million, Disney CEO Bob Iger and journalist Willow Bay acquired a controlling stake in the team, making it the world's most valuable women's sports team.

The league recently signed a $240 million media deal, which is 40 times more valuable than its previous agreement.

The NWSL renegotiated its CBA with the NWSL Players Association two years early due to the recent surge in women's soccer, in order to provide more visibility to future investors and partners regarding the business model.

"Berman stated that proactively engaging the union and extending the life of the labor agreement was crucial to avoid labor disruption or distraction in the foreseeable future, allowing for growth from an ownership-investment, sponsor-investment, and media-investment perspective. He believes that this next phase of growth will unlock an incredible amount of investment and resources."