• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 1, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

NWSL Signs First College Player Since Abolishing Draft

The NWSL agreed to a new CBA in August that abolishes entry and expansion drafts. The first player signing of the new era arrived Thursday.

Austin American-Statesman

University of Texas forward Trinity Byars signed with the San Diego Wave, the club announced Thursday. What would normally be a routine line on the transaction wire marked a historic moment: Byars is the first player to choose her pro team directly out of the college system without a draft in the way.

The NWSL and its players’ union agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement in August that abolished its draft, making all amateur players true free agents.

In addition to scrapping entry and expansion drafts, the new CBA banned trades without player consent, added charter flights, increased player salaries, guaranteed all contracts, made all current players free agents at the end of their contracts, and introduced revenue sharing. The current average salary of $56,000 will land roughly between $135,000 and $159,000 next season, and grow both with the introduction of revenue sharing and as the deal progresses. Parts of the deal—which runs through 2030—began July 11, while the rest kicks in Jan. 1, 2025.

In August, NWSL Players Association president Tori Huster told Front Office Sports that taking away the draft removes some of “the anxiety that comes along with not knowing where you’re going to land.”

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in August that removing drafts helps the league “align with global standards and achieve long-term labor peace.” The 2026 expansion team in Boston—which botched its brand rollout so badly the club had to issue an apology—will be allowed to sign only free agents. Those discussions can begin six months before their existing deal ends.

Byars was named the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and Forward of the Year in 2023, but she has missed most of her senior season due to a knee injury on Sept. 1. The Wave said the club signed her before the Oct. 10 “roster freeze” kicked in. Her deal runs through the 2026 season with a mutual option to extend through 2027. Wave players including Byars will report in January to San Diego, where the club expects she’ll spend another roughly five months rehabbing her torn ACL, ESPN reported.

It’s been a busy year for the Wave. Owners approved the sale of the team to new owners in March. The sale price of $113 million (up to $120 million) nearly doubled the league’s previous high of $63 million. (The Wave’s record was more than doubled a few months later by Bob Iger and Willow Bay’s purchase of Angel City FC.) In July, former employees publicly accused the club and team president Jill Ellis of a toxic workplace culture, after a third-party investigation in the spring found no violations of the law or league policy. Ellis responded by suing one former employee for defamation. In September, U.S. soccer legend and Wave forward Alex Morgan announced her retirement and played her final professional match for the team.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Gareth Bale: MLS Quality Hurt By Low Salaries

Bale said MLS salaries aren’t competitive enough to lure stars from Europe.
Aug 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Son Heung-min poses during an LAFC introductory press conference at BMO Stadium

Son Heung-Min Effect Will Hit Big for MLS and L.A.

With a record signing, the South Korean supernova has landed at LAFC.
Dallas Wings

WNBA Teams Desperate to Expand Rosters Amid ‘Extreme Hardship’ 

The Wings are scrambling to field eight players Friday night.
Candace Parker

Candace Parker Not a WNBA Owner Yet, but Her Business Is Booming

Her WNBA peers say she made the blueprint for earning off the court.

Featured Today

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.

Cowboys’ Parsons Approach Shows High Cost of Delayed Contracts

Parsons will sign a four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers.
Cooper Lutkenhaus
August 28, 2025

Running Prodigy Ditches High School and College for Nike at 16

Cooper Lutkenhaus is a contender at next month’s track world championships.
August 29, 2025

Kyle Schwarber’s MVP Candidacy Could Lead to Massive Payday

The Phillies slugger makes history and could do so again this winter.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
Breanna Stewart
August 28, 2025

Breanna Stewart’s Injury Meant Rare Presence at WNBA CBA Talks

Stewart “makes the league sit up straight,” the union director told FOS.
August 28, 2025

Micah Parsons Traded to Packers, Set to Sign Record 4-Year, $188M Deal

The Cowboys reportedly offered Parsons $40.5 million per year in March.
Willie Mays
August 28, 2025

Willie Mays’s Son Tries to Block Sale of Some Memorabilia 

Michael Mays disputes that his father wanted certain items sold after he died.
Aug 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) flies out to left field in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.
August 27, 2025

The Biggest Deferred Sports Contracts in Each Major Sports League

Shohei Ohtani will make $680 million after his contract ends.