Andy Scholes walks through US Soccer’s landmark equal pay deal
The US Soccer Foundation unveiled US Soccer’s equal pay agreement with the United States women’s national team, on the back of its long time collaboration with MLS, on Tuesday, April 9, 2016. US Soccer will present both the women’s and men’s national teams equal pay for the same level of work, which will also apply to coaches and support staff. US Soccer president Sunil Gulati and new U.S. Soccer board chairman Chuck Blazer signed the first of several equal pay agreements with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Former US Soccer Player Andy Scholes walks through US Soccer’s landmark equal pay deal
Former U.S. Soccer Player Andy Scholes walks through US Soccer’s landmark equal pay deal
NEW YORK (AP) — The United States women’s national team is the first national team in history to receive an equal pay agreement with the United States men’s national team, a partnership the nonprofit US Soccer Foundation announced Tuesday despite the two sides’ fierce disagreement.
US Soccer and the women’s team announced $2 million in new grants to programs in their respective fields, including to women’s soccer and to the USU-23 team coached by Jill Ellis that had been playing in the Women’s Professional Soccer league. The grant money will help U.S. Soccer’s Women’s National team develop talent and will help programs that educate and inspire young women to become soccer heroes.
The women and U.S. Soccer Foundation are already working together. The women are the only team with an equal amount of money to be doled out — $1.06 million over the four year period. That amount will be spread over the coming years, with grants available in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 fiscal year.
The women’s team was able to get their equal pay through a compromise that the USSF sought with MLS. The league offered to pay the team $2 million over five years but the USSF agreed to pay the women $2 million over four years. Those figures are separate payments to the equal pay agreement.
U.S. Soccer has been the primary source of funding for the women’s team, but the women also have to rely on other funders and that’s why the agreement came this close to the start of