For the first time in sports history, the United States will have a second-division women’s professional soccer league. The newly formed WPSL Pro will launch in late 2026, filling a gap for U.S. Soccer and highly skilled players. WPSL Pro was created out of the Women’s Premier Soccer League, which launched in 1998 and now houses over 100 teams. The league primarily serves offseason college soccer players. After initially intending to launch as a D3 league, the organization and franchise investors chose to add to U.S. Soccer’s existing pyramid instead. WPSL Pro plans to hit the field with 15 confirmed clubs and up to 20 expected. Each team is required to pay a $1 million franchise fee. “WPSL Pro is the bridge that’s been missing — not just for players, but for the communities, investors, and brands ready to be part of the next chapter in women’s sports,” league co-founder Sean Jones said in a statement. There is a relatively small number of spots and opportunities for professional women’s soccer players, with none existing below U.S. Soccer’s top tier. WPSL Pro’s other co-founder and project director Benno Nagel aims to change that reality and boost player development with this move. “We are building a WPSL Pro for players, for clubs, and for communities — and we’re excited to deliver a league that can unlock the still untapped potential of women’s soccer at scale,” he said in a statement. According to the Pro Licensing Standards set by U.S. Soccer, a D2 women’s professional league must possess at least six clubs, all stadiums have to seat at least 2,000 people, and the franchises’ principal owners must exceed a net worth of $7.5 million each to apply for sanctioning. There’s never been a professional D2 women’s soccer league in the U.S. before, as the planned USL Super League pivoted last-minute to launch as a D1 league in August 2024. A spokesperson for the WPSL Pro told ESPN that there is also discussion over allowing players to have equity in the league. The WPSL Pro expects to kick off with a shortened fall season following the men’s World Cup in 2026 and will play a full April-October schedule from 2027.