The USL said the new league would establish a “fully integrated pathway” for clubs and players across the three divisions.
U.S. Soccer, which sets the standards for the sport, requires that top-tier leagues have a minimum of 12 teams, with stadiums that seat 15,000 or more fans. At least 75% of the teams must be located in cities with populations of 1 million or more. And the teams must prove financial viability.
USL President Paul McDonough told The Associated Press that league officials recently met with U.S. Soccer and there were no objections to the plan. Sanctioning will come later in the process.
“We told them our intention, they’re supportive of it. Now we have to go and build a league and provide all the proper documentation and meet all the standards to be sanctioned prior to kickoff,” McDonough said.
It’s possible that a number of current USL Championship teams could move up to the new league, including Sacramento, Louisville, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The announcement comes ahead of a busy few years for soccer in North America. The Club World Cup will be played in the U.S. this summer, followed by the World Cup next year, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In 2028, Los Angeles will host the Olympics.
McDonough said there will be an application process for teams both already in the USL system and potential new clubs.
The league will play a spring-to-fall calendar, like MLS, and there will be no college draft. There is the possibility that the league may adopt promotion-relegation, McDonough said.
Major League Soccer is celebrating its 30th season this year. The MLS season opens next week with 30 teams, including expansion club San Diego.
The USL has a top division women’s league, the eight-team USL Super League, which launched last August.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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