The 2022 National Women's Soccer League season concludes Saturday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. with the Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current battling for league supremacy in the NWSL Championship.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on CBS and fans can stream on Paramount+ (Premium). Pregame coverage on Paramount+ begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with Kate Abdo, Midge Purce and Jenny Chiu. The Attacking Third, the podcast devoted to bringing you everything you need to know from women's soccer, will have postgame coverage carried live on YouTube and on the CBS Sports App following the trophy ceremony, with Angel City defender Ali Riley featured as a special guest.
As the league braces for a sellout crowd for the big final, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman held her state of the union press conference on Friday where she addressed expansion efforts, an upward trend in numbers, the continuation of neutral site finals, and an update to the joint investigative team.
Berman was hired as NWSL commissioner back in April after former commissioner Lisa Baird resigned in light of her failure to address players' allegations and concerns of sexual coercion and abuse in the NWSL. Berman has since slotted into the role that has included representing the league during a joint investigation between the league and the NWSL Players Association, hundreds of conversations with league and club staff, supporters and sponsors on the direction and future of the league.
Here are some key points:
Berman on striving for safe player environment ...
"I understood exactly what the challenges were, and are, and felt uniquely prepared to be able to address them on the basis of my background and experience and also felt that I had been preparing for this moment, really, every single day since I was a teenager and that nothing would make me happier than having the opportunity to apply that for these incredible athletes.
"The last six months have really only validated, confirmed and inspired me to know and believe that this league has unlimited potential. I believe with our sponsors, our relationship with our Player's Association and players, and frankly with your support from the media -– having the ability to actually bring this to life –- and make these players' dream come true [and] for the next generation of athletes."
On three-pronged approach to joint investigation ...
The league and the union launched an ongoing investigation to address allegations of abuse just about a year ago. Ahead of the NWSL playoffs, U.S. Soccer released their commissioned Sally Q. Yates investigative report into past abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women's professional soccer. Berman said "our ongoing investigation is jointly commissioned by the NWSL and the NWSLPA, and that's been really the cornerstone and the bedrock of our position on anything related to this topic.
"Our partnership with the players, and taking direction from the players, has been and will continue to be our framework, our grounding for what guides the future of this league, and there's nothing more important than us delivering on our promise to them, and others, that these players deserve and will play for a league that they feel proud to play in and that provides a healthy and safe environment for them to reach their potential."
Covington & Burling LLP alongside Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP are handling the investigative efforts. The commissioner also outlined a three-pronged approach to the investigation: "First, seeking the truth. Second, corrective action, and third, systemic reform.
"We are still in the first stage of that three-part process," Berman elaborated. "And while our job is to pursue the facts where they lead, that means that we have no specific direction on timeline, substance findings recommendations.
"They have the autonomy to drive [the] process, and as you might imagine, the Yates report unlocked many conversations with witnesses, documents, and other individuals who felt that they had important information to share."
Berman views the Yates report coming out three weeks ahead of the final as a good thing, as it will continue to aid the investigators in their pursuit of truth, and allow them to leave no stone unturned.
"You can imagine that since a year ago, time has not stood still. Many changes have occurred in the last year at the league office with respect to systemic reform and even corrective action. But that's not the focus of what we're talking about externally.
"We're going to continue to work quietly behind the scenes to put the league in a position to be successful, and to bring the joint investigative process to a conclusion, which includes making sure that we and the Player Association are prepared to put our pencils down, and have the joint investigative team put their pencils down and release our report publicly."
On expansion ...
The deadline for NWSL expansion application is on Friday, Nov. 4. Berman hinted at "82 interested groups," but expects five to 10 official bids after the deadline passes next week. The bids are not expected to be announced publicly right away as she anticipates a "waning out process" to determine which groups get the green light.
It's worth noting that David Blitzer, who purchased Real Salt Lake, owns rights to the Utah Royals and announced in January that he has the option of bringing back the Royals to this marketplace. The City of Utah lost its NWSL franchise to the Kansas City Current -- this year's finalist -- after the 2020 season. It remains to be seen if Blitzer will be given the green light as early as this latest round of expansion.
Paramount+ is the only place to watch every minute of every NWSL match this season in addition to Champions League, Europa League, Serie A and more. Sign up now with code UEFA22 for one month free for new users and don't miss any of the action. A subscription not only gives you access to all the soccer you could want but also the NFL on CBS, and countless movies, shows and original content.
On the future of neutral site finals ...
Berman said there are approximately 1,000 seats remaining as the league pushes for a sellout for Saturday's final. That's encouraging news considering her plans to keep the NWSL Championship as neutral site event, citing league resources and quick turnaround factors.
On upward trends ...
The NWSL announced in late August that the league crossed the million mark at the turnstiles for a record attendance in games league wide. An average attendance of over 21,000 for the postseason was set across four playoff games in four cities. Berman also acknowledged the large bump in viewership for the league this year.
"With respect to viewership, our Paramount+ viewership numbers are up almost 30% year over year, which is really important for us. We need people to want to not only attend games, but watch games, where they can be viewed."
The league is also celebrating sponsorship revenue, which Berman says is up 90% year over year. While some partnerships are influx within certain club markets after the release of the Yates report, after a decade of existence, the NWSL as a while has more sponsors and partnerships in history.
"These partners are not only standing by the league, but they are also doubling down on the league. They know and understand, just like I did when I took this job six months ago, that this league needs more resources, not less. And we are so confident that we have the right partners around us and that we are talking to the right partners who want to join us and be part of the change that we want to see."
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Oct. 29
Pregame: 6:30 p.m. ET | Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Audi Field -- Washington, D.C.
TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+ (Premium)
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Thorns +100; Draw +250; Current +225
