Northern Super League Eyes Expansion in 2027

Summary:

• The NSL plans to add a seventh team in 2027, targeting Central or Western Canada.
• Overseas investors from the U.S. and Europe have shown interest in joining.
• A seven-team format would balance the schedule and improve player pathways.

The Northern Super League (NSL) may only be in its debut season, but plans for expansion are already on the horizon. As officially confirmed by co-founder and chief growth officer Diana Matheson, the top-division pro women’s soccer league is targeting 2027 for its next addition, with a seventh franchise likely to join the mix.

The NSL Will “Clearly Target” Central and Western Canada 

Initially, league officials talked about adding not one, but two teams in 2027, with a change of heart in the meantime. 

Matheson, who is also a part owner of the Ottawa Rapid explained,

We like the feel of adding one team in 2027. It allows us to really clearly target Central Canada and Western Canada.

At the moment, the NSL features clubs located in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. For better geographic balance and additional player opportunities, the league is now exploring potential sites stretching from Manitoba to British Columbia.

As expected, ownership interest hasn’t been hard to come by. According to Matheson, investors “looking at women’s sport as a growth industry” from both the United States and Europe are circling. 

These investors regard Canada “as a top market” within the industry, so it would be of no surprise if “there was some international interest too in investing in a new Canadian club.”

Early investors paid a $1 million franchise fee, with an estimated $8–10 million needed across the first five years to cover operations and infrastructure. Those numbers have since risen, though Matheson declined to give specifics.

Better Schedule, Smoother Competition 

From a competition standpoint, seven teams would help smooth out scheduling. Under that format, each team would face the others four times, for a balanced 24-game season. A bye week built into the calendar would also provide flexibility, especially given Canada’s limited soccer infrastructure. 

Right now, the six-team league plays an uneven 25-game schedule that gives some clubs an extra home match and others an extra away date.

As for an eventual eighth franchise, there’s no timeline. The NSL has created an expansion committee to work with Whitecap Sports Group (WSG), a Florida-based investment bank with global reach, to identify new ownership groups. 

WSG has already played a role in Canadian soccer, most notably in helping AFC Toronto secure majority owner Mark Mitchell, a Michigan-based entrepreneur with Canadian roots.

The NSL will crown its first champion on November 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field, but even as the inaugural soccer season unfolds, the league’s future is already taking shape.