U.S. Soccer, the United States soccer federation, announced on Wednesday the creation of the Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup, a competition bringing together clubs from the National Women’s Soccer League -NWSL- and the Gainbridge Super League. The tournament will feature single-match knockout rounds, a championship final and a $1.1 million prize for the winner. It will also provide a pathway to qualification for the Concacaf W Champions Cup, although no launch date has been set: its place in the calendar will be determined through consultation with the organisations involved. The proposal creates a shared competitive platform for two leagues that run separate championships.
The institutional distinction matters: both leagues hold Division I sanctioning from the federation, so the Super League is not a lower tier than the NWSL. The official website envisages all their clubs participating in the inaugural edition, with potential expansion to other teams and leagues later. Paul McDonough, president and CEO of United Soccer League -USL-, highlighted how collaboration between organisations can create meaningful competition and new opportunities for women’s soccer.
The men’s precedent and existing cup competitions
The men’s equivalent is the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, organised by the federation since 1914, rather than MLS Cup, which determines the champion of Major League Soccer -MLS-. The Open Cup brings professional and amateur teams together in knockout competition; in 2026, sixteen MLS clubs entered in the round of 32. The Crest Cup will begin with more limited entry, focused on the two professional women’s leagues. Nor is it the first national women’s cup at any level: the United States Adult Soccer Association -USASA- lists women’s champions dating back to 1980 and maintains a national amateur competition. The innovation lies in connecting the two Division I professional leagues.
The NWSL Challenge Cup serves a different purpose. It began in 2020 as a tournament during the pandemic and underwent several format changes before becoming, in 2024, a single match between the NWSL playoff champion and the regular-season winner. If one club wins both titles, the playoff runner-up takes the second berth. The Crest Cup will enable matches between clubs from different leagues. Emma Hayes, head coach of the United States women’s national team, supports that model through her experience at Chelsea: “Domestic cup competitions are an important part of the women’s game.” She highlighted the opportunities it could give young players to showcase their abilities in matches with a trophy at stake.
A local rivalry offers an example
The clubs’ perspective provides a concrete example. Charlie Neil, president of Dallas Trinity, told ‘3rd Degree’ that the cup had been a couple of years in the making and that Super League teams had pushed for its creation. His club has already faced the NWSL’s Houston Dash in a friendly that, according to Neil, was among its best-attended matches. “People really leaned into the Dallas-Houston rivalry,” he recalled. The new competition creates an opportunity to translate that interest into official interleague matches, although any meeting would depend on the draw arrangements. Neil also conveyed his players’ and coaching staff’s enthusiasm for the project.
Funding provides another incentive. The announced $1.1 million is the winner’s prize, while the version of the announcement published by Orlando Pride puts the total prize pool above $1.5 million: the figures describe different parts of the prize structure. Neil linked that funding to the continued need for investment in professional women’s soccer. The competition has the backing of Arthur M. Blank and his foundation. For U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone, it should attract investment and expand opportunities; JT Batson, the federation’s CEO, identifies extending professional women’s soccer into new communities as another objective.
A continental pathway and a place in the calendar
International access could give the tournament additional value for clubs from both leagues. U.S. Soccer presents the Crest Cup as a pathway to qualification for the Concacaf W Champions Cup, whose inaugural edition allocated all three United States places to NWSL teams based on their sporting results. The new cup would open that possibility to Super League participants.
Launching the competition requires fitting that opportunity into existing calendars. In comments reported by ‘Associated Press’, Parlow Cone said the federation was working with both leagues to find the right timing and was exploring future participation by lower-division professional and amateur teams. “We’re announcing this in real time as we are still trying to put all the pieces together,” she said. The tournament website also outlines work with medical experts to protect player health and a joint promotional campaign across U.S. Soccer and both leagues’ channels. The inaugural edition will start with Division I clubs; the launch date, match scheduling and any future opening to other levels remain part of the project’s development.
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