'I intend to be here' - NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman eyes extension and backs rolling expansion, citing owners’ flexibility

While Berman wouldn't directly address negotiations about extending her time as commissioner, she made it clear she wants to continue the work she's done since joining the league in 2022. 

"What I can say is that I intend to be here," Berman said this week, according to ESPN. "I joined this league because I believe in the future of women's sports and professional women's soccer, and that's all I can say."

The valuations of NWSL clubs have skyrocketed since the 48-year-old joined the league. Within her first year, franchise fees went from $2 million to $53 million. Clubs now have an average valuation of $104 million, and the league also saw a 91 percent increase in regular season revenue in 2024 - netting $215 million. Berman's contract expires at the end of this season. She is reportedly expected to sign at least a short-term extension. 

Berman’s desire to remain at the helm comes as the NWSL enters a new phase of growth, giving the league greater leverage to rethink how it approaches expansion.

The league will grow to 16 teams by 2026, with Denver Summit FC and Boston Legacy joining next season. After these successful expansions, the league has gained substantial knowledge about potential ownership groups across various markets, prompting the shift to a more adaptable approach.

"We've made the decision to shift to a rolling process mostly because we've been through this, two rounds, and so, we pretty much know the universe of who's interested,” Berman said. “There's more than a dozen of them. Those conversations are ongoing.

"Each of them has a different perspective on how much time they need to launch, the investments they need to make to be successful, including potentially around infrastructure, and we want to not force a square peg into a round hole. We want to be more flexible so that we can get to the best possible result for the next round."

Berman also addressed the NWSL’s salary cap, with the league’s board meetings taking place a few weeks after Alyssa Thompson’s recent move to Chelsea. The latest high-profile move out of the league has some questioning the NWSL's current $3.5 million per team salary cap, with many concerned about losing key players.

"While I could understand the focus on the salary cap, the way that players make decisions about where to play is a complex set of considerations, and we will always look at that not in a myopic way, but holistically," Berman said. "We are quite confident that the value proposition that we offer to players is compelling and we'll continue to attract and retain the best players."

Reports have indicated that there are other cities in talks for expansion. As per Reuters, those cities include Atlanta, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Nashville, Philadelphia, Minneapolis/St. Paul and St. Louis.

Berman has stressed there isn't a set timetable for future expansion.