Northern Super League

  • Northern Super League
  • Super Ligue du Nord
First season2025
CountryCanada
ConfederationCONCACAF (North America)
Number of clubs6
Level on pyramid1
International cup(s)CONCACAF W Champions Cup
Websitehttps://www.nsl.ca/
Current: 2025 Northern Super League season

The Northern Super League (NSL; French: Super Ligue du Nord—SLN) is a planned top-division professional women's soccer league in Canada. The league is owned and operated by Project 8 Sports, Inc., an entity co-founded by former Canada women's national soccer team player Diana Matheson.

The league is scheduled to begin play in April 2025 and will consist of six teams: Halifax Tides FC, Montreal Roses FC, AFC Toronto, Calgary Wild FC, Ottawa Rapid FC, and Vancouver Rise FC.

History

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Former Canadian national team player Diana Matheson co-founded Project 8 Sports, Inc., in June 2022 and led it from its launch

Upon her retirement from professional soccer in July 2021, Matheson began advocating for both a national domestic women's league and National Women's Soccer League team in Canada.[1] Her early plans specified a six-month professional league with player leadership, and cited her experience with the Ottawa Fury and Vancouver Whitecaps of the defunct USL W-League as examples of what Canada lacked in player development opportunities.[2] Matheson entered Queen's University at Kingston to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree in August 2021,[1] and enrolled in the UEFA Executive Master for International Players program toward sports administration.[3]

In December 2021, Matheson presented a plan for women's soccer in Canada to the Canadian Soccer Association, but discussions did not progress. While attending Queen's, Matheson co-founded Project 8 Sports, Inc., in June 2022 with master's classmate Thomas Gilbert and began planning a professional domestic women's soccer league. Matheson formally announced the league – known provisionally as Project 8 – on December 5, 2022, on The National alongside former national-team teammate Christine Sinclair, who advised the group. The announcement included the league's first two teams in the Whitecaps and Calgary Foothills WFC, and first two sponsors in CIBC and Air Canada. She also announced talks with Toronto FC owners Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and CF Montreal, both of Major League Soccer, and a target of May 2024 for sanctioning from Canada Soccer.[3] Matheson named Dome Productions as the league's initial broadcast production partner.[4]

In January 2023, Matheson noted that talks had also included independent and foreign ownership groups, and announced franchise fees of $1 million with an expectation of owners investing $10 million total over the first five seasons,[5] with entry including equity in the league itself.[6] She also detailed limits on foreign players to seven per team, and suggested that the new league would not deal with Canada Soccer Business, the entity that owns broadcast rights to the Canadian Premier League men's soccer competition.[5]

On April 26, 2023, Project 8 announced the league's third team, AFC Toronto City, with an independent ownership group composed of people on the board of North Toronto Soccer Club (NTSC) competing in League1 Ontario, though the Project 8 team would not be formally affiliated with the NTSC organization. The initial announcement did not include participation from Toronto FC or MLSE.[7] In May, Project 8 was recognized as a "league in membership" by the Canadian Soccer Association.[8]

On May 28, 2024, the official logo and name for the league were revealed as the Northern Super League, along with the announcement that teams from both Montreal and Ottawa would also join the league for the 2025 inaugural season.[9][10] On May 30, the name and logo of Calgary Wild FC was unveiled.[11][12] On June 13, the name and logo of Halifax Tides FC was announced.[13] On August 15, the name and logo of Ottawa Rapid FC was unveiled.[14][15] On August 26, the name and logo of Vancouver Rise FC was unveiled.[16] On October 8, the name and logo of Montreal Roses FC was unveiled.[17]

On June 11, the NSL confirmed a multi-year partnership with CBC and TSN, which would both hold broadcast rights for all of the league matches.[18][19] On July 8, former CFL and Woodbine Entertainment Group executive Christina Litz was announced as the league's president with Matheson moving into the role of chief growth officer.[20]

Teams

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On April 4, 2024, the league confirmed that six clubs had submitted applications to the CSA to get professional status.[21]

Team City Stadium Capacity Joining Head coach Ownership Ref.
Halifax Tides FC Halifax, Nova Scotia
Wanderers Grounds
6,500
2025
 Canada Lewis Page
Courtney Sherlock (CEO)
 [13]
Montreal Roses FC Montreal, Quebec
Various (TBA)
2025
 Romania Robert Rositoiu
  • Isabele Chevalier
  • Jean-François Crevier
 [22]
Ottawa Rapid FC Ottawa, Ontario
TD Place Stadium
24,000
2025
 Denmark Katrine Pedersen
TBA
 [9]
AFC Toronto North York, Ontario
York Lions Stadium
4,000
2025
 Canada Marko Milanović
  • Helena Ruken (CEO)
  • Brenda Ha (COO)
  • Jill Burgin (CMO)
  • Mike Ruthard
  • Billy Wilson
  • Shamez Mangalji
 [23]
Calgary Wild FC Calgary, Alberta
McMahon Stadium
35,400
2025
 TBA Calgary Foothills FC [12]
Vancouver Rise FC Burnaby, British Columbia
Swangard Stadium
5,288
2025
 Denmark Anja Heiner-Møller
[24]

Location map

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Announced club

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Canadian Diana Matheson retires, looks forward to post-soccer challenges". SportsNet. The Canadian Press. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Yang, Steph (July 8, 2021). "Diana Matheson has big plans for Canadian soccer after announcing the end to her playing career". The Athletic. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Molinaro, John (December 7, 2022). "Matheson again at the forefront in big moment for Canadian women's soccer". SportsNet. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  4. ^ Matheson, Diana (December 7, 2022). "Diana Matheson on the revenue, investment and stadium prospects for new Canadian women's league" (Interview). Interviewed by Joshua Kloke and Steph Yang. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Matheson says support growing for proposed Canadian women's soccer league". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Canadian Press. January 13, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  6. ^ Davidson, Neil (July 17, 2023). "Matheson hopes World Cup further raises profile of women's game, boosts new Canadian league". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Canadian Press. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  7. ^ Davidson, Neil (April 26, 2023). "Canadian women's pro soccer league signs on AFC Toronto City". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  8. ^ "Historic Day for Canadian soccer as Charmaine Crooks elected President and Project 8 approved as League in Membership". Canada Soccer. May 6, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Jacques, John (May 28, 2024). "Meet The Northern Super League". Northern Tribune. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Dunlop, Brendan (May 28, 2024). "Project 8 unveils Northern Super League, Montréal & Ottawa round out 6 founding NSL clubs". Canadian Soccer Daily. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Ellis, Brendon (May 30, 2024). "Calgary Wild FC unveiled as city's first professional women's soccer club". CTV News. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Jacques, John (May 30, 2024). "Everything We Know About All Six NSL Launch Teams". Northern Tribune. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Jacques, John (June 13, 2024). "Northern Super League: Halifax Tides Makes A Splash". Northern Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  14. ^ "Ottawa Rapid FC unveiled as name of city's new pro women's soccer team". CBC News. August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  15. ^ Comtois, Martin (August 15, 2024). "Le CF Rapide Ottawa voit le jour et promet un " coup d'éclat "" [CF Rapide Ottawa is born and promises a 'coup d'éclat']. Radio-Canada Info (in French). Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  16. ^ "Vancouver Rise FC launch as Northern Super League's latest club brand". Canadian Soccer Daily. August 26, 2024. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  17. ^ https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/quebec-news/roses-fc-unveiled-as-montreals-northern-super-league-franchise-9632351
  18. ^ "CBC/Radio-Canada strikes multi-year deal to broadcast, stream Northern Super League games". CBC Sports. June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  19. ^ Jacques, John (June 11, 2024). "Northern Super League Lands Huge Broadcast Deal With TSN And CBC". Northern Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  20. ^ Davidson, Neil (July 8, 2024). "Former CFL executive Christina Litz named Northern Super League president". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  21. ^ "Project 8 Hits Major Milestone as Six Clubs Submit for Canada Soccer Membership | Vancouver Whitecaps FC". Whitecaps FC. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Jacques, John (May 28, 2024). "Women's Pro Soccer To Plant Flag In Montreal". Northern Tribune. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  23. ^ Ngabo, Gilbert (June 3, 2024). "Toronto's pro women's soccer team unveils its crest, with kickoff set for next year". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  24. ^ Dichter, Myles (December 5, 2022). "Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson reveal pro Canadian women's soccer league set for kickoff in 2025". CBC Sports. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
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