Category: Sidewinder Insider

Back in 2020, when Greenville Triumph SC won the championship of USL League One, I remember thinking how bittersweet it was. At the time I was a resident of the city, so I was happy for them, of course. After all, my local soccer team had earned a crown, and that’s a big deal. But in just their second season, they’d already hit the ceiling.

Without a system of promotion and relegation – the standard in international association football – there was nowhere to go. The USL Championship was atop the pyramid in the United Soccer League system, and its lineup of franchises was set. A Triumph title in a lower circuit didn’t secure passage to a higher one.

But that’s all about to change.

Today the USL announced that a supermajority of owners voted to implement pro/rel. The news – some of the biggest in U.S. soccer history, if you ask me – comes on the heels of the organization’s plan to create a new Division One league starting in 2028.

“A new chapter in American soccer begins,” Alec Papadakis, CEO of the United Soccer League, said. “The decision by our owners to approve and move forward with this bold direction is a testament to their commitment to the long-term growth of soccer in the United States. This is a significant milestone for the USL and highlights our shared vision with our team ownership to build a league that not only provides top-tier competition but also champions community engagement. Now, just as it is in the global game, more communities in America can aspire to compete at the highest level of soccer.

“It’s time.”

Once the Division One league is formed, the USL Championship – already considered second division by United States Soccer Federation standards – will remain in that spot while League One will be D3. (The USL system also includes League Two, which is a developmental league with 74 teams).

USL officials have hinted for years that they were open-minded about pro/rel, but it never seemed to get beyond the talking stage.

The National Independent Soccer Association, on the other hand, was founded in 2017 with the intent of creating a pathway pyramid, but that didn’t happen. As of now, NISA is struggling to even stay afloat. It’s not sanctioned by USSF for 2025 and has long been overshadowed by MLS Next Pro and League One.

And Major League Soccer never has and never will consider it. In 2024 Forbes estimated that the average MLS club is worth $658 million.

League commissioner Don Garber famously (infamously?) said this about pro/rel in 2015:

“If you’re investing billions and billions of dollars, which we are now at about $3.5 billion invested (in MLS) in twenty years, to build something in Kansas City and they have a shitty season, to think they might be playing in Chattanooga in a stadium of 4,000 people on a crappy field with no fans, makes no sense.”

Garber later apologized (and Chattanooga FC is now part of MLS Next Pro), but the point was made. It’s a closed league and it’s staying that way.

Thus, the boldest step possible in domestic soccer is finally being taken by the USL.

“Promotion and relegation transforms the competitive landscape of American soccer,” Paul McDonough, President and CEO of the USL, said. “With the 2026 World Cup and other major international events approaching, we have a unique opportunity to build on that momentum and create a sustainable future for the sport in the U.S. Fans and stakeholders have been clear – they want something different. They’re drawn to the intensity of high-stakes competition, where more matches have real consequences – just like we see in European leagues.

“This shift challenges the status quo and brings a level of excitement and relevance that can elevate the game across the country.”

I’m truly excited about this. Moving up or dropping down based on sporting merit has long been a defining feature of international soccer, and soon – in the USL – every single match will matter. Few things are as dramatic as seeing some clubs climbing up the ladder and others desperately trying to avoid falling off.

Obviously, there are plenty of major details to be worked out. We don’t even know who’ll comprise the top division once it kicks off in 2028. And USSF Pro League Standards require first division clubs to play in stadiums that seat at least 15,000, which could create problems for those in cozy, smaller confines.

Still, this is major news for a circuit determined to take on Major League Soccer. And the investors who buy into the premiere division of USL will know exactly what they’re getting into.

Even though I no longer live in Greenville, I’m still gonna keep a close eye on the Triumph and root for their success.

Winning a trophy in 2020 was cool.

But winning promotion? That’s gonna be so much cooler.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always favored upstart leagues (I preferred the American Football League to the NFL, World Hockey Association to the NHL, and American Basketball Association to the NBA), but I really, really wanted the second iteration of the North American Soccer League to succeed.

When it started play in 2011, Major League Soccer was already clearly established as North America’s one and only “First Division” soccer circuit. Since the new NASL had revived the badge of my favorite domestic club – the New York Cosmos – I hoped one day it could challenge the established league.

I didn’t want NASL to replace MLS or force a merger, I just wanted to have another option.

Instead, the NASL folded in 2017 and after losing its antitrust lawsuit against MLS earlier this month, it’s most likely off the board for good.

Luckily, I have a few collectibles to remember it by. So, while it’s gone, I won’t forget it.

But now – maybe – I’m gonna get another shot at cheering for the underdog thanks to the United Soccer League. Currently, the USL Championship serves as a second tier competition in the American pyramid, but on February 13 plans to create an MLS rival were announced.

Gotta admit … it got the ol’ Spidey senses tingling.

“Today is a defining moment for the USL and the future of soccer in the United States,” Alec Papadakis, CEO of the United Soccer League, said. “Creating a Division One league is a bold step forward, expanding access to top-tier competition, deepening the connection between our communities and taking another step in aligning with the structure of the global game. By uniting people through soccer and bringing Division One to more cities, we’re not just growing the sport—we’re creating lasting opportunities while building a more sustainable and vibrant soccer ecosystem in the U.S.”

MLS works under a single entity structure while USL franchises are sperate businesses. That allows for more “personality,” like the independent spirit you get with clubs like Detroit City FC and Oakland Roots SC.

“The USL has long been committed to creating a structure that drives growth, opportunity, and long-term success in American soccer,” Papadakis said. “The USL model empowers clubs with greater autonomy and fosters a dynamic, interconnected system—one that allows them to compete at the highest level while remaining deeply rooted in their communities. Around the world, top-tier clubs thrive in cities of all sizes, and we believe the same is possible here. The demand and infrastructure are in place, and the potential for growth is immense.”

The new league is slated to begin play for the 2027-28 season, a year after North America hosts the World Cup and leading up to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As for the name, it’s doubtful they’ll stick with “USL Division One.” Currently the USL has the USL Championship (second division), USL League One (third division) and USL League Two (amateur).

Officials will be workshopping a name over the coming months (personally I’d go with USL Premiere, but nobody has asked me and I doubt they will).

As for number of clubs, the upstarts will have to follow U.S. Soccer Pro League Standards. The country’s governing body requires top-tier leagues to have at least 12 teams to start (scattered across the Eastern, Central and Pacific time zones) and 14 teams by year three; 75 percent or more of the clubs must be in metro markets of at least a million people; stadiums are required to be enclosed and have a minimum capacity of 15,000; and at least 75 percent of the teams must be based in the United States.

Sacramento Republic led the USL Championship in per game attendance last year (10,106) and is set to open a sparkling new stadium in 2027 that can seat up to 15,000. They’d be a logical flagship franchise for Division One.

Indy Eleven, Louisville City and New Mexico United all draw well and make strong cases for a spot. Albuquerque has the green light to give New Mexico United a permanent home stadium. And the Roots, who I mentioned earlier, have plans to build a 25,000-seat venue, so they’re in this for the long haul.

Currently only four USLC clubs (Birmingham Legion FC, Miami FC, Louisville and Oakland) have existing stadiums that meet U.S. Soccer requirements, but there’s plenty of time for cities to wrangle suitable venues.

Circling back to the Cosmos, they’re owned by Rocco Commisso and have been “on hiatus” since 2021. This would be a great time for him to breathe life back into the club and give the new league a familiar brand. And I’d like nothing better than to move my Cosmos ballcaps and T-Shirts from the “dormant” to the “active” pile.

I’m assuming the original 12 will be a mix of clubs we already know from the USL Championship and some newcomers Division One officials think can put butts in the seats.

Regardless, Forbes estimates that the average MLS club (there are 30) is worth $721 million, and average per game attendance in 2024 was 23,234. In other words, Commissioner Don Garber’s association football alliance is doing just fine.

Throw in the fact that the senior circuit is joined at the hip with U.S. Soccer, and that means this new enterprise has a long, rocky road ahead.

But, hopefully, it’s a road worth traveling. And personally, I’m looking forward to going along for the ride.

OK, I realize that the American men’s soccer pyramid features Major League Soccer at the top, the United States Soccer League Championship a step below, MLS Next, USL League One and the National Independent Soccer Association occupying the third rung on the ladder and USL League Two, NPSL, UPSL and NISA Nation representing the fourth tier.

For the purposes of this column, however, let’s pretend we’re only dealing with MLS, the USL Championship and USL League One.

Now, travel with me back in time (through research … I don’t have the budget to use cool portals like you see in big-budget movies) and visit July 30, 1988.

That’s the date that Werner Fricker, president of the United States Soccer Federation, sent out a press release that detailed his plans for professional soccer in America.

The U.S. had just been awarded the 1994 World Cup, and part of the deal with FIFA was that the country had to develop a First Division pro league. With the demise of the North American Soccer League in 1984, there was no established major circuit in operation in 1988.

Fricker’s release was chock full of details, but the one that really jumps out to me came under the heading “The Future of Pro Soccer.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation has developed a plan for the reorganization of professional soccer in the United States. The plan calls for a First, Second and Third Division professional structure, with a system of promotion and relegation that will be unique to American professional sports. Under the new system, any community in America, provided it meets the proper standards, could field a team in the new professional league.

Wow.

Had that idea come to fruition, this year in domestic pro men’s soccer would look quite different.

Using the European pro/rel model (and sticking with the alternative timeline trope), Inter Miami CF are MLS champions by virtue of having the best regular season record in the league, while the Chicago Fire FC, New England Revolution and  San Jose Earthquakes suffer relegation to the USL Championship.

Louisville City FC and the Charleston Battery earn promotion to MLS from USLC, and Detroit City FC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC,  Rhode Island FC and Memphis 901 compete in a playoff for the final MLS promotion spot.

Miami FC, El Paso Locomotive FC and Monterey Bay FC tumble to USL One, with Union Omaha and Northern Colorado celebrating promotion to the USLC and Forward Madison FC, Greenville Triumph SC, One Knoxville SC and the Charlotte Independence battling in a promotion playoff for the last 2025 spot in American soccer’s Second Division.

Pretty cool, huh?

I love the idea that a minor league team can become a major league team through sporting merit, and for a few years I spent a lot of time howling at the moon about pro/rel soccer here in America.

“If we can’t have it here,” I screamed, startling many of the customers gathered at Trader Joe’s, “then it’s not worth having at all!”

But you know what?

It’s not gonna happen – at least not in a way that truly matters.

That ship sailed, sunk and rests at the bottom of the ocean 36 years after Fricker’s bold plan.

Ask 100 people why it never came to pass and you might get 100 different answers.

For one thing, Fricker lost his USSF reelection bid to Alan Rothenberg in 1990. Rothenberg, of course, went on to chair the World Cup 1994 Organizing Committee and helped oversee the establishment of MLS, which began play in 1996.

That league works under a single entity structure with each club owned by MLS but individually operated by investors. And while most franchises lose money, they’ve increased their value substantially over what they were worth originally.

A piece in Forbes in February stated that the average MLS club is worth $658 million (LAFC became the MLS’s first $1 billion franchise last year) and the expansion fee is now $500 million, up from $200 million in 2019. That gives off something of a Ponzi scheme vibe, but I have less than $300 in my checking account, so I’m not really qualified to comment on high finance.

Recently, Forbes gave a glowing review of the current status of MLS:

Boasting a league-high 23,194 average attendance at the All-Star break, MLS announced it has welcomed 8.3 million fans to matches so far, the most in league history by date in any season. With average attendance across the league’s 29 teams averaging 94 percent of capacity with a midseason-record 153 sellouts, fans aren’t just coming to the marquee matches. Season ticket sales league-wide are up 12 percent from the same time last season, with 25 of 29 clubs seeing increases from 2023.

The point is, people who invest that kind of money aren’t doing it at the risk of seeing their clubs lose First Division status. And frankly, rank-and-file American soccer fans seem fine with that arrangement. They’re used to having champions determined by playoffs/tournaments at the close of regular seasons in all other sports, anyway.

So, the worst team in MLS this year will return to the circuit in 2025, just as the trophy lifters in the USL Championship can only hope to add more USLC hardware a year later.

Throw in the fact that pro soccer in the United States doesn’t follow an international schedule (most of the rest of the world’s leagues started play in August), and you’re basically dealing with a different sports animal.

The USL has hinted at trying pro/rel, but that would be contained within the league’s sandbox.

There are lower division leagues that do it as well but, again, it’s an in-house thing.

All this used to bother me and hindered my enjoyment of U.S. men’s pro soccer but – and I truly hate this phrase – it is what it is.

I’ve come to view MLS, USL, etc., a bit like I view the United Football League (and the USFL and XFL before it). It’s a fun product to watch in the “offseason.”

Just as the NFL and college football are my primary tackle football focus, the Bundesliga, English Premier League, Scottish Professional Football League, Serie A, La Liga and college soccer offer the brand of association football most interesting to me.

That doesn’t mean I have to ignore what’s offered in my own country.

Anyway, Fricker’s pro/rel idea was in keeping with the traditional structure of world football. Promotion playoff battles are some of the most compelling in all of sports, and I think it would’ve been glorious.

Regardless, thanks for traveling back in time with me so I could write a few hundred words about something that didn’t happen. On the bright side, it’s hard to miss what you never had.