USL Super League and Players Union Agree on First Collective Bargaining Agreement

The USL Super League and USL Players Association announced on Thursday a tentative collective bargaining agreement covering the league's inaugural labor deal. The agreement, announced by the league and union after eight months of negotiation, establishes standardized player protections for the first time since the league's 2024 launch.

The tentative deal sets a minimum salary of $37,200 and includes housing benefits covering 50% of the fair market value of a two-bedroom apartment, plus 100% coverage of health, vision, and dental insurance premiums. The agreement also mandates two athletic trainers per team and establishes leave protocols standardizing an in-season break, parental leave, family emergency leave, and mental health leave. Players gain group licensing rights for name, image, and likeness, and the deal includes a requirement for player consent on all transfers.

League president Amanda Vandervort told ESPN: "I think it's a defining moment in the history of the Gainbridge Super League. It's a reflection of a shared commitment between the league and our players to build a stronger future together." Vandervort noted that the five-and-a-half-year term, which runs through the end of 2031, provides "labor stability through the World Cup," which is expected to be primarily hosted in the United States when the agreement expires.

The Super League's minimum salary exceeds the floor set by the NWSL in the first year of its original collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified in 2022 in the NWSL's tenth year. The NWSL's initial minimum was $35,000. However, the NWSL's minimum salary increased to $50,500 in 2026 under a new CBA, ahead of the USL Super League floor. The agreement's housing and insurance benefits improve upon current conditions in the USL's men's leagues, the Championship and League One, per ESPN's reporting.

The USL Super League, which launched in 2024 as a fall-to-spring competition with nine teams, recently announced a transition to spring-through-fall play to mirror the NWSL calendar. The league currently operates with eight teams after Spokane Zephyr FC folded in May. Up until the tentative agreement, players operated without a CBA, meaning decisions and standards varied significantly by club.

The tentative agreement does not specify the salary increases throughout the 5.5-year term beyond the opening minimum. A labor committee of United Soccer League and club representatives met with USLPA representatives, including a group of seven or eight players, in person and remotely to reach the agreement. The USL first voluntarily recognized the union in late 2024.

The deal remains contingent on ratification by both players and the league.