Players fines continue under NWSL’s footwear sponsorship policy as union files grievance

The National Women’s Soccer League’s current footwear sponsorship policy continues to penalize players, despite its intention to create a “minimum standard” for brands to pay players.

Three players have been fined and four received warnings, according to sources within the league who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitive financial nature of the policy. One of the first players fined under the new footwear exposure agreement was the Kansas City Current’s Michelle Cooper. The forward was issued a $500 fine for wearing New Balance Furon Elite V9 cleats during a July 3 match between the Current and the Denver Summit after receiving a warning for wearing her cleats at the Challenge Cup on June 26. In addition to the fine levied against Cooper, Chicago’s Jordyn Huitema was fined up to $1,000 for wearing New Balance and the Seattle Reign’s Sofia Huerta was issued up to $500 for her Lotto cleats, according to sources with knowledge of the fines.

The NWSL Players Association filed a grievance with the league on players’ behalf, and under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the league cannot collect fines until the complaint has been resolved.

Players who previously wore cleats without endorsement contracts must now secure sponsorship deals to remain compliant. If a brand isn’t paying the player, there is only one way to avoid those penalties: covering the logo.

“The player can cover the branding if they’re going to wear unauthorized footwear, which they’re allowed to do. They just can’t promote the brand,” Berman said. The commissioner also said equipment managers have been given guidance on how to cover the logos without compromising player safety. Equipment managers across multiple teams have used paint and scraping techniques to cover logos.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman says players who properly cover unauthorized logos will not be penalized. (Justin Edmonds / NWSL via Getty Images)

The new initiative is similar to a commercial model already used across major U.S. professional leagues, including the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS, where brands pay for the right to have their products visible during games and broadcasts. The footwear clause has been around since the NWSL launched in 2013, though it has historically been enforced sparingly. Nike has served as the league’s exclusive apparel partner since its inaugural season, supplying uniforms and on-field equipment to every club under a partnership, which was renewed again in 2021.

The league declined to disclose the financial terms of the current sponsorship framework. However, Jack Rasmussen, the CEO of cleat maker Caddix, previously told The Athletic that the footwear exposure agreement requires brands to “pay the league $100,000, plus at least $5,000 directly to each player under contract.” Caddix athletes Kayla Sharples of Kansas City and Shae Holmes of the Seattle Reign have not been fined at this time, Rasmussen said.  

The NWSL said it is still in negotiations with New Balance, Lotto, Caddix, IDA and Skechers for the brands to join the footwear sponsorship program. The resolution to the pending grievance will determine whether players ultimately share in the costs of the league’s commercial strategy.

Karan Lodha contributed reporting to this story.