Racing Louisville FC is set to kick off its 2027 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season earlier than ever, with the campaign beginning in February as the league adjusts its calendar ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Louisville will play a balanced 30-match schedule in the NWSL’s second season as a 16-team league, with the regular season kicking off on Thursday, Feb. 11. The schedule sees Racing play every opponent home and away, while also including a league-wide pause in play during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and a CBA-mandated break the week of June 7-13.
Louisville’s season will pause during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, set to be played Thursday, June 24, to Sunday, July 25. It will resume NWSL play the weekend of July 30-Aug. 1.
More details on Racing’s 2027 calendar, including most significantly the complete regular season schedule will be shared at a later date.
The 2027 league campaign will begin one week before the regular season with the Challenge Cup presented by e.l.f., which will be contested Saturday, Feb. 6.
In its fourth year under the current format, the single-match event will feature the prior season’s Supporter’s Shield winner and the NWSL Champion on Saturday, February 6. The game will be hosted at a neutral site to be announced at a later date and will stream live on Prime Video.
Racing will wrap up regular season play with Decision Day on Sunday, Oct. 31, as postseason spots are confirmed.
A week later, the opening round of the 2027 NWSL Playoffs will occur Nov. 5-7, followed by a semifinal round slated for Nov. 13-14. The league will conclude its 2027 season with the NWSL Championship on Saturday, Nov. 20.
The 2027 season will notably mark the fourth and final year of the league’s domestic media rights agreements. More than 120 games across the league will once again be distributed across nationally available platforms, including CBS Sports, ESPN, Scripps-owned ION and Prime Video. The outstanding regular season contests will be available on NWSL+, the league’s domestic direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
Key 2027 NWSL Dates:
- Saturday, February 6: NWSL Challenge Cup, presented by e.l.f.
- Thursday, February 11: NWSL Regular Season Kickoff (Los Angeles)
- Monday, June 7 – Sunday, June 13: League-wide players CBA-mandated break
- Thursday, June 24 – Sunday, July 25: NWSL Break for FIFA Women’s World Cup
- Sunday, October 31: NWSL Regular Season Concludes with Decision Day
- Saturday, November 20: NWSL Championship
