The National Women’s Soccer League will launch its 2020 season with a 25-game tournament in Utah beginning this June, the league announced Wednesday.
The league, which last played in October 2019, will kick off its 25-game tournament featuring all nine teams on June 27 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah without fans, said the league. Each team will play four games in the preliminary rounds to determine seeding, with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals. Single elimination games will determine the two finalists, who will play in the Championship match on July 26 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
CBS will televise the opening game as well as the Championship match, while the CBS All Access streaming service will televise live all other games, said the network.
“As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird in a statement. “This exciting month-long tournament will showcase our league’s talented players and provide our fans the type of world-class entertainment they’ve come to expect from the NWSL.”
The NWSL's announcement comes on the heels of the National Hockey League's plans to restart its 2019-2020 season this summer after suspending play in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
