Challenge Cup set to return in April.
CHICAGO, IL–The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced a new competition framework to be debuted in 2021 which includes the return of the NWSL Challenge Cup and a 24-match regular season.
“2021 is shaping up to be another big year for the NWSL as we continue to innovate our product, engage our incredible fans and support our players and teams,” said NWSL Director of Operations and Player Affairs Liz Dalton. “Building on what we were able to safely accomplish in 2020, we’re expanding the opportunities for our athletes and teams to thrive, and for our sponsors and partners to invest in our continued growth.”
Players will report to camp on February 1st, with the first competition coming in mid-April when the NWSL Challenge Cup returns after the historic inaugural edition in 2020. Based on guidance from the NWSL Medical Taskforce and public health authorities, the 2021 Challenge Cup will take place in multiple bubble environments, team markets, or some combination of the two. Last year’s edition was held in Utah and won by the Houston Dash.
“Bringing back the Challenge Cup is an opportunity for our league to continue growing our fan base and showcase our world-class players with an exciting and competitive tournament ahead of the most important international tournament on the 2021 calendar, the Olympic Games,” said NWSL Chief Revenue Officer Mitch Poll. “We’re focused on continuing to build opportunities to expand our reach, expose a global audience to the best women’s club soccer in the world, and provide meaningful opportunities for our teams and players to perform.”
Following the 2021 Challenge Cup, the NWSL’s ninth regular season will kick off in mid-May, with each team scheduled to play 24 matches. The full league schedule will be released at a later date. The wisdom is that teams will play six teams three times and three teams twice with the arrival of Racing Louisville.
Six teams will qualify for an expanded NWSL playoff set to take place beginning in November 2021, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. The NWSL Championship is set to be held the weekend of November 20th.
