ESPN and CBS Sports reported that the NWSL has submitted an application to U.S. Soccer for a Division II or second-tier league starting in 2026. Thus far, eight NWSL teams have commited to the D-II league, with every team being required to have an affiliated second-tier team within the first four years. 

The 2025 NWSL Competition Manual, which was released last month, did include language around being able to open up the newly approved CBA to bargian over "whether players from the reserve teams or lower division teams may be Loaned or “called-up” to train and/or play with an NWSL Team or NWSL Players may be loaned or “called down” to/from NWSL Teams and reserve teams/lower division teams, as well as the terms by which such Loans may occur."