Matheson likes what she sees as new women’s league countdown to kickoff hits 100 days

The NSL schedule has yet to come out, with the league waiting on the CFL to finalize its dates given shared facilities in Ottawa and Calgary. Matheson expects the NSL schedule to come out in early February with jersey sales to start in March.

And then comes kickoff for the founding franchises in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

“Picturing those opening games in every market, that’s definitely the image I’ve had in my mind for two years-plus. So I’m really looking forward to those few weeks when all those teams have their home openers,” said Matheson, who won 206 caps for Canada in a distinguished international career that stretched from 2003 to 2020.

There will be a one game opening day on April 16, a Wednesday, with two more on the 19th. The league has yet to announce the opening locations.

Vancouver and Montreal have yet to confirm where they will play home games, although Roses FC says it will use several venues in Montreal.

And while the six clubs had only announced a little more than two dozen players prior to Monday, Matheson says many more have already signed with “some exciting” Canadian talent set to be announced this month. The league completed its coaching lineup Friday with England’s Lydia Bedford confirmed as Calgary Wild coach.

Matheson also expects more sponsorship announcements this month, with “some pretty top-tier Canadian brands and multinationals” joining Canadian Tire as league partners.

The league already has a kit provider (Hummel), even an official insurance brokerage partner (Westland Insurance). And broadcast deals with CBC and TSN/RDS.

A league spokesman said all league matches will be shown either on linear TV through its broadcast partners or on NSL and partner digital platforms. A “substantial number” will be shown on linear TV.

Each team will play a 25-game regular-season schedule, facing the other clubs five times. The top four sides will make the post-season with No. 1 playing No. 4 and No. 2 taking on No. 3 in two-legged semifinals, followed by a stand-alone championship game.

And while the priority will be to feature female referees and assistant referees, the officiating talent pool will have to grow to reach that goal, Matheson says, with a mixture of men and women officiating to start.

The new league is owned equally by the clubs, with Matheson and league co-founder Tom Gilbert holding an ownership stake in the Ottawa franchise. Future expansion teams will also buy into the league with each franchise holding an equal share.

Matheson says she will not be involved in the day-to-day operation of Ottawa Rapid FC, focusing instead on growing the league.

“We all felt, including myself, that that’s where I could continue to have the biggest impact in the next few years,” said Matheson. “So I’m not operational at all in Ottawa. And we’re really careful to mind any conflict of interest as they come up in any role I have at the league level.”

Matheson will also play a role in connecting with other women’s pro leagues around the world. She and Jose Maria Celestino da Costa, the league’s vice-president of soccer operations, are off to Spain later this month to attend the Women’s Leagues Forum, which represents some 16 women’s leagues.

The NSL franchises are independently owned and operated, with ownership groups ranging in size.

AFC Toronto, for example, started with seven founders led by Ruken. More than two dozen investors have since joined, including track star Andre De Grasse and tennis star Milos Raonic.

“We put a public call for investment just through our website, didn’t run a huge campaign or anything but it was always there,” said Ruken. “And then it spread through word of mouth. A lot of people came to us and just wanted to be part of it and make sure that we have a women’s professional team in Toronto. That’s our common thread.”

Vancouver Rise FC majority owner Greg Kerfoot, who is in the process of selling the MLS Whitecaps, has brought in former Canada captain Christine Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, B.C., and other partners “not necessarily for financial needs but because he wants women to be at the forefront of everything he’s doing (with the team),” said Matheson.

The Calgary ownership group includes Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, a Calgary native.

Clubs will have between 20 and 25 players on their rosters, with eight international players permitted per team.

Teams will initially operate under a $1.6-million salary cap with the league minimum salary set at $50,000. Each franchise will be allowed a marquee player whose pay will not count against the cap.

Unlike Major League Soccer, the NSL special salary slot will not come with a title (designated player in MLS) and Matheson says teams may not identify the player in question.

While the league’s bottom line may be bumpy for a while, Ruken says she is in it for the long haul.

“According to our business models, all the clubs will lose money initially,” said Ruken. “That’s part of it but we very much work towards a breakeven scenario.

“Our plan is to reinvest the revenue back into the club and grow the valuation of the club.”

The initial franchise fee was $1 million with a need for an estimated $8 million to $10 million in total invested capital over the first five seasons. Future franchises will have to pay a bigger admission ticket, however.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Matheson likes what she sees as new women’s league countdown to kickoff hits 100 days

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