San Diego makes Byars NWSL's 1st NCAA signing since end of draft

San Diego Wave FC announced Thursday that the club has signed University of Texas forward Trinity Byars, making Byars the first active NCAA athlete to sign with an NWSL team since the league's recent elimination of the draft.

Byars, a senior at the University of Texas, signed with San Diego Wave through the 2026 season with a mutual option for 2027. The transaction was made before the Oct. 10 roster freeze.

The NWSL and NWSL Players Association ratified a new collective bargaining agreement this summer that eliminated all forms of player drafts and granted players full free agency, meaning this offseason marks the first in the league's history that college and youth players are free to sign directly with teams of their choice.

In a shift toward competing with global leagues, the NWSL became the first U.S. league to voluntarily remove the draft mechanism.

"The draft is an antiquated model that treats people as property to be bought and sold," the NWSLPA said in its August news release about the new CBA, which runs through 2030. "The new terms will empower players to decide which team environment is the best fit for their needs and their development."

Byars joins San Diego after missing most of her senior season at Texas because of a serious knee injury sustained on Sept. 1.

Byars will report to San Diego with the rest of the roster in January in order to complete her rehab from a torn ACL, a Wave spokesperson told ESPN. The club is anticipating a nine-month recovery from the time of her injury, though that could vary based on her progress.