NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman on Friday said that she believes the league “could grow as big as the NFL” at 32 teams. Berman: “Our board believes that we can be the size of the NFL, there is nothing that stands in the way of us doing that, other than having access to top talent. There’s certainly not a problem with the supply, given the size of our country and the level of talent that exists.” There are currently 14 teams in the NWSL, with teams from Boston and Denver set to begin play in 2026 to bring the league to 16 clubs. Berman said that the league is “not actively running an expansion process now but has ‘continued active conversations with interested groups.‘” She noted that there is “not currently a timeline for the next round of expansion beyond 16 teams” (ESPN.com, 4/4).
Berman sees NWSL matching NFL at 32 teams
