# @thegistusa on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DI4LZrTTlPl
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/29807244-thegistusa-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/f1315287ab.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-25T17:23:06.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** The GIST USA (@thegistusa) — https://gondola.cc/thegistusa

## Caption

The NWSL is looking to launch a Division II league in 2026. 📅⁣
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The National Women's Soccer League has formally applied to the U.S. Soccer Federation to create a new Division II league. 🖊️⁣
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The goal of this additional division is to support the growth of women’s soccer and create more opportunities as demand for professional play continues to rise. The NWSL currently includes 14 teams, with two expansion teams set to join in 2026. So far, eight NWSL teams have committed to the Division II league, though every NWSL club will be required to have an affiliated second-tier team within the first four years. 💪⁣
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"The demand for professional soccer has never been higher. We look forward to working to build a strong foundation for future generations of players, officials and coaches and ensure the continued advancement of the women's game," said an NWSL spokesperson in a statment. 👏⁣
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News of the NWSL’s plans comes just a week after WPSL Pro announced its own launch as a second-division league—a level of women’s professional soccer that has never existed in the U.S. before. Both the WPSL and the NWSL’s second-division leagues will require approval from U.S. Soccer. 🇺🇲⁣
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If all proposed leagues launch as planned, the number of women's professional teams in the U.S. could jump from 12 in 2023 to roughly 50 by the end of 2026. 👀⁣
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GISTers, do you think the NWSL needs a second division? ⚽ #thegist⁣
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(c/o espnw)⁣
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#womenssports #soccer #womenssocer #nwsl #ussoccer ⁣

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 602
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 1

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The GIST USA | @thegistusa | https://gondola.cc/thegistusa | Sports Media Outlet |

## Tags

ussoccer, soccer, womenssports, womenssocer, nwsl, thegist

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