ESPN to provide exclusive coverage of all eight NWSL Decision Day matches

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced coverage details for the final weekend of the 2026 regular season, featuring all 16 clubs in action on NWSL Decision Day, Sunday, November 1. With the NWSL Shield, presented by CarMax, playoff positions and seeding still to be determined, NWSL Decision Day will finalize the complete bracket for the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel. The Shield has been decided on the final weekend of the regular season four times in league history (2013, 2016, 2022 and 2023), setting the stage for another consequential finish in 2026. 

For the first time, ESPN will serve as the exclusive domestic broadcast home of all eight NWSL Decision Day matches, as part of the league’s expanded media rights agreement with ESPN. All eight NWSL Decision Day matches will kick off simultaneously at 5 p.m. ET across ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+, ensuring a dramatic conclusion to the regular season as clubs compete for playoff positioning. As part of its comprehensive Decision Day coverage, ESPN will also produce a live whip-around show on ESPN2 beginning at 5 p.m. ET, capturing the excitement, drama and playoff implications as they unfold across the league. All games stream on the ESPN App with an applicable ESPN plan.

Since its introduction in 2023, NWSL Decision Day has delivered high-stakes finishes to the regular season. In its inaugural year, eight clubs entered the final day competing for four remaining playoff berths, separated by just four points. In 2025, the final playoff spot remained up for grabs heading into the last day of competition, with two clubs separated by just two points.

The full slate of NWSL Decision Day matchups will kick off at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 1.

• Gotham FC vs. Utah Royals FC (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Stars FC (ESPN+)
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Orlando Pride (ESPN+)
• North Carolina Courage vs. Denver Summit FC (ESPN+)
• Racing Louisville FC vs. Kansas City Current (ESPN+)
• Angel City FC vs. Boston Legacy FC (ESPN+)
• Houston Dash vs. Portland Thorns FC (ESPN+)
• Bay FC vs. San Diego Wave FC (ESPN+)

Further details on this year’s NWSL Decision Day matches, including playoff implications and tiebreaker scenarios, will be available later this week at NWSLSoccer.com.

Fans tuning in outside the United States will be able to stream all NWSL Decision Day matches live via Plus.NWSLSoccer.com.