SALT LAKE CITY — The National Women’s Soccer League’s 2020 season will officially continue, starting early next month.
Following the NWSL Challenge Cup in Utah, which became the first team sporting event to take place in the United States since March earlier this summer, the league will now play a total of 18 games in home markets over the course of seven weeks starting Sept. 5 (the Challenge Cup saw 23 matches from June 27-July 26).
While games will be played in home markets as opposed to a “bubble” as was the case in Utah, teams will be divided into three, three-team pods and play only the teams in their pod. Teams will play the other two squads in their pod twice each, once at home and once on the road, for a total of four games each over the seven weeks.
“Building on the success of this summer’s Challenge Cup, I am so excited to smartly and safely take this next step on the NWSL’s journey.” — NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird
The league announced the pods on Tuesday, but said the full schedule will be released in the next week. Utah Royals FC will be in the West pod with Washington-based OL Reign and Portland Thorns FC. The Chicago Red Stars, New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC and D.C.-based Washington Spirit comprise the Northeast pod.
The Challenge Cup champion Houston Dash, two-time reigning league champion North Carolina Courage and the Orlando Pride, which had to fully withdraw from the Challenge Cup just before it started because of positive coronavirus tests within the team, make up the South pod.
“Building on the success of this summer’s Challenge Cup, I am so excited to smartly and safely take this next step on the NWSL’s journey,” NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement. “The women of the NWSL want to compete and we’ve certainly heard from our fans all over the world looking for more action this year.”
The league announced that there will be a televised NWSL Game of the Week on the CBS Television Network every Saturday in September, and on CBS Sports Network three Saturdays in October. CBS All Access will exclusively stream four games as well as the CBS broadcast coverage in September.