May 6, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) News Release
CHICAGO – UKG , a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions for all people, and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced a historic, multi-year partnership, making UKG the first-ever title sponsor of the NWSL Challenge Cup, increasing the Cup bonus pool tenfold in 2022, and the total pool will more than double again in 2023. The 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup will be the first-ever women’s professional soccer tournament to achieve pay equity with its U.S. peers in the men’s game.
“We refuse to accept that one organization cannot make a difference in the fight for pay equity – just look at what these remarkable women have done with their collective voice to raise awareness on a national stage about a problem that has plagued our workforce for decades,” said Brian K. Reaves, chief belonging, diversity, and equity officer at UKG. “These worthy athletes are also champions on the field of equality. We are so proud to stand beside the NWSL and work toward bringing pay equity to a sport that, for too long unfortunately, reflected the working reality of many women. This partnership is just one of the many actions UKG is taking to raise awareness and encourage action on pay equity across all workplaces and industries .”
The multimillion-dollar, multi-year UKG sponsorship will close the wage gap for the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, with the prize money directly benefiting the women on the winning team, runner-up team, and semifinalist teams. This is in addition to the recently ratified collective bargaining agreement reached by the NWSL and the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association that includes a substantial investment from ownership that significantly increases compensation packages and benefits, enhances training and playing environments, and provides the standards essential to securing the NWSL’s position as the best women’s soccer league in the…