Jessica Berman has been given a contract extension to remain as NWSL commissioner, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.
A source with knowledge of the deal said it was for three years, which would run through the 2028 NWSL season, with her original deal set to expire in the coming months.
An NWSL spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.
Berman briefly addressed her future last month in a press conference at the NWSL's New York headquarters: "What I can say is that I intend to be here. I joined this league because I believe in the future of women's sports and professional women's soccer, and that's all I can say."
Berman's future as commissioner has been under negotiation for months. Multiple sources told ESPN that the full board did not have a unanimous opinion on how to move forward.
The board has a four-person executive committee that led the process. Per Sportico, the league's executive committee finalized Berman's deal this week without a final vote from the full board, which a second source confirmed to ESPN.
Under Berman, the NWSL's commercial business has grown exponentially, including a $240 million media rights deal, ongoing expansion of the league, and rising team valuations from around $5 million to over $250 million in a few years. The league office has also expanded exponentially and the NWSL has attracted new major sponsors.
The league also ratified a new collective bargaining agreement last year, and it has made sweeping reforms to improve player safety following a systemic abuse scandal that predated Berman and forced the resignation of her predecessor, Lisa Baird, in 2021.
Those business strides have garnered the support of many owners, who have seen the value of their teams and the league appreciate rapidly.
Multiple sources, however, expressed concern over the league's direction and its future ability to compete with increasing global competition. Top European teams are paying the world's best players more than the NWSL can offer under the limitations of a salary cap, which is set through 2030 under the new CBA.
Berman's handling of multiple recent high-profile controversies has also been scrutinized by sources across the league.
In May, a match continued to completion after Angel City FC defender Savy King collapsed on the field and received treatment for over 10 minutes before being taken to the hospital, where doctors eventually discovered a heart abnormality. The NWSL was heavily criticized and eventually admitted the game should not have continued, and that any future similar event would lead to the suspension of a game.
When Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo collapsed on the field in September, the game was suspended.
In August, Berman reportedly threatened the owners of the Kansas City Current after a disagreement over heat policies, according to The Athletic. A match in Kansas City was delayed for over three hours due to extreme heat. The delay was long enough that the NWSL lost a prime national TV window, which was reportedly why Berman wanted the game to proceed.
Multiple sources told ESPN that some board members also expressed concern over the summer that any change in leadership could both disrupt the league's progress and create optics of instability -- especially as the league begins to negotiate new media rights deals soon.
Berman became commissioner ahead of the 2022 NWSL season, when the NWSL was in crisis over alleged abuse of players by coaches and staff members. Baird resigned in October 2021 under intense scrutiny for her handling of the scandal, and Marla Messing served as interim CEO until Berman began as commissioner in spring 2022.
Prior to becoming NWSL commissioner, Berman was the deputy commissioner and executive vice president of business affairs at the National Lacrosse League.
Berman spent 13 years in various roles in the NHL prior to that. Her work in and around the NHL, first as an outside lawyer, included CBA talks and ending a labor lockout that canceled the 2004-05 NHL season.
Sportico, which first reported the news on Friday, said that Berman's new contract includes a financial incentive depending on the results of the league's next broadcast negotiations.
