The National Women's Soccer League has agreed to pay $5 million to a "Restitution Fund" that will "compensate current or former players" who've suffered from abuse while playing in the league.

After two high-profile investigations found in 2022 that such abuse — verbal, emotional, sexual and otherwise — was widespread and "systemic," the NWSL moved to amend deficient policies and close gaps in systems that enabled it. But until now, it had not established protocol for providing monetary relief to those most impacted.

It agreed to do that as part of a settlement with the attorneys general of Washington D.C., New York and Illinois, who had commenced their own investigation, which confirmed that "the NWSL was permeated by a culture of inappropriate and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment and harassment and discrimination based upon gender, race, and sexual orientation."

The attorneys general — Brian Schwalb of D.C., Letitia James of New York and Kwame Raoul of Illinois — and the NWSL Players Association announced the settlement Wednesday. In addition to the Restitution Fund, they said that the league had agreed to "ongoing oversight" by the three attorney general offices. The "NWSL must continue to comply with extensive changes to its protocols," and submit biannual reports detailing its compliance with dozens of requirements contained in the settlement.

Those requirements include "rigorous vetting" of coaches. In some cases, they go beyond what the NWSL and NWSLPA have already agreed to in their collective bargaining agreement, which codifies many of the reforms that emerged in the aftermath of the abuse scandal that rocked the league in 2021.

“This settlement not only acknowledges [the NWSL's past] failures but, for the first time, establishes enforcement mechanisms under the law to hold NWSL accountable and to prevent future harm," NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said in a statement.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement that the league has "worked collaboratively with the NWSLPA and the attorneys general to add greater strength to the programmatic changes we adopted in 2023 in light of the joint investigative reports."

The $5 million Players' Restitution Fund

It was not immediately clear how the $5 million will be distributed, but the settlement, which was signed by Berman, stipulates that the NWSL will retain former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones to administer the restitution fund.

The NWSL will pay $5 million into escrow. Jones will then have "up to 45 days to develop a plan" for the fund, an NWSL spokesman told Yahoo Sports. She will "submit that plan to the attorneys general for approval. Once approved, the administrator will notify players no less than 15 days prior to the Fund’s opening. Once open, players will then have six months to apply."

"More details, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, will be available in the coming weeks and will be communicated to players, past and present," the NWSL spokesman said.

The settlement notes that specific terms have been defined in a "Players’ Restitution Fund Protocol," and also states that "claims against the NWSL by two players identified by the NWSL to the Attorneys General that have been settled may be paid in the net amount of $1 million from the Fund."

But the attorneys general — who spoke at a Wednesday news conference alongside Burke, NWSLPA deputy director Tori Huster and Erin Simon, a former player who has said she was sexually abused while playing for NWSL club Racing Louisville — noted that it was only part of the settlement and the fallout.

"Let us be clear," James said, "no amount of money can heal the wounds."

Schwalb added: "Pursuit of money was secondary to righting the wrong and ensuring that people moving forward are not harmed."

“This $5 million restitution fund is not a gift, nor is it justice," Huster said. "This fund is an acknowledgment of the league’s failures, and the harms suffered by players. It's a testament to the players' courage, and a necessary step toward accountability. … But true accountability means ensuring this never happens again.”