The Women's Super League is set to expand to 14 teams from the start of the 2026-27 season, with a promotion and relegation play-off to be introduced
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20:09, 16 Jun 2025
Newcastle United Women's Manager Becky Langley at St James' Park
The Women's Super League is set for an expansion to 14 teams from the start of the 2026-27 season, incorporating a promotion and relegation play-off.
It is huge news for Newcastle United Women, Sunderland Ladies and Durham Women who all finished in the top seven of the Championship in the season just finished and will now have their eyes on the big prize.
This significant development follows a proposal by Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women's Professional Leagues Limited, which earned the nod during Monday's WSL Football shareholders meeting.
While awaiting the go-ahead from the Football Association board, this move would see 14 teams battle it out in the premier women's competition beginning next year, with the 2025-26 season concluding in a dramatic relegation/promotion play-off.
If the expansion from a 12-team WSL to 14 gets FA approval, it offers three Women's Championship clubs the chance to gain promotion during the 2025-26 campaign.
The top two of the Championship will go up automatically and the third-placed side will take on the team which finished bottom of the WSL in a play-off.
It opens the door for Newcastle United Women, Sunderland and Durham Women to gain promotion to the top flight next season. In anticipation of this decision, which had been discussed behind the scenes, Newcastle have already started rebuilding their squad after releasing 12 players last month.
In a bold move, they axed several long-standing players with some of the decisions taking supporters by surprise. The likes of club captain Amber-Keegan Stobbs, Katie Barker, Georgia Gibson and Olivia Watt have all left the club as manager Becky Langley embarks on a summer recruitment spree.
Nikki Doucet reflected on the extensive planning behind this decision, stating: "Over the past few months, WSL Football has led a thorough and robust, consultative process backed by research and analysis which explored multiple options that could drive the game forward and help it reach its potential.
"Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women's game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women's professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction and incentivise investment across the board."
Adding to the anticipation, Doucet said: "Subject to the approval from the FA board, expanding the BWSL to 14 teams will stimulate movement between leagues and through the pyramid which increases opportunities.
"The introduction of a promotion/relegation play-off creates distinction for the women's game and introduces a high-profile, high-stakes match."
The Championship will continue as a 12-team league with "additional promotion opportunities" from the FA Women's National League Northern and Southern Premier Divisions at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
"The method for these promotions, and any impact further down the pyramid, will be confirmed by The FA in due course," a WSL Football statement read.
It means from the 2026-27 season, the 14th-placed team would be relegated and replaced by the winner of the Championship.
A relegation/promotion play-off between the 13th-placed club in the WSL and Championship runner-up would then determine the final place in the top-flight.