It is the same level, the only reason that PDL is more known it's because they been here longer but NPSL teams are in the same level as PDL. Only the stupid have teams in the PDL. It cost over $600k for a PDL franchise, give it 3-6 years the PDL wont be here anymore. There are more leagues forming with VERY LOW fees and same level of play.
sorry, but a USL PDL franchise does not cost anywhere near $600K. The USL Pro franchise fee was getting up near that amount but not the PDL fee.
You are correct. I was thinking USL PRO. But PDL franchise price does run you WAY!!!! to high for amateur level soccer. And i stay with what i said about them breaking soon if they don't lower their fees, teams talking about making the switch to NPSL are all over, So far i have spoken with at least 4 different national leagues and their fees are SO MUCH lower than PDL and they offer the exact same thing.
Yes PDL costs more. And yes they get more publicity. Thats not really debatable. Is PDL better? Some PDL teams are, and have great staff/systems built around them. Although I think they have better players merely because they have been around longer. But teams like Erie, Chattanooga and Hollywood have really blurred the skill level.
As a team owner in the NPSL, the cost is a major difference, with the PDL being supported by a larger organization it gets more vision. However it is not a fully recognized division, more so a developmental (reserve) program for many clubs. The NPSL is independently recognized as a division in US Soccer Structure. Competively we are on par, our club in our first year went toe to toe with the Menance PDL squad. Another of our division rivals hung with the Chicago Fire PDL squad. Given time I think we can surpass them and on a much better financial scale too. Don't get me wrong I think we all serve a point to help the game and don't intend to bash their setup. This my opinion and surely will be debated by PDL supporters.
For whatever reason, PDL produces more pro players and MLS draft picks. That's the main reason I give PDL a slight advantage.
SoccerPrime, Its a fair point. One that I think still has much to do with the "visibility" of the PDL. However given time I think the NPSL will show it has class. For instance the 56ers in recent years have produced 6 pro contracts from NASL to MLS. Out club, straight out of the box went head to head and put many teams on notice in our first year. We have good talent on our squad and a possibilities to produce pro players. Again I dont want to bash the PDL, I just feel we are financially a better option.
The franchise fee alone is 50K, each team also has to carry a line of credit of 15k, and $7200 for league fees. All this plus your teams operating expense; it can run over $150k for year one. Compared to our entire NPSL operation coming in under their franchise fee. And we can compete with them on the field.
I know ever year the USL flaunts how many MLS draftees came from PDL. Does NPSL have a list like that?
With only 1 year to go off of I dont know for sure. However, I do know that the Madison club has produced several players in NASL, USL and MLS. I believe our club will also be a producer of talent...we have a few now that could make the step.
Given the short summer season, how much of a hand does either league have in a player's development? I might be inclined to phrase it as "more pro players and MLS draft picks pass through the PDL". To me, saying the PDL/NPSL produce players is kind of like giving credit for the development of a baseball prospect to a summer league team in the Cape Cod League instead of the player's college program.
However the NPSL has been around for several years, does anyone have a list of MLS draftees came from any NPSL team, ever? How much is the PDL responsible for those players going to MLS? Maybe, probably none. But those draftees are playing for PDL not NPSL before going to MLS. Thats reality.
There are players...I am working on a list or at least some references to support the discussion. However, I think the point of this discussion is not to bash one or the other but to discuss the differences and viability of the leagues and the fact that both play a vital role in the game here in the US. I chose the NPSL route as the direct route because it offered an affordable option to USL's PDL.
i think the NPSL is one of the best things to happen since the internet... one thing i think is important is to have professional sounding american english team names, because the league is in america, dont name your team after another professional team that you have no affiliation, that just sounds like crap... another thing is the uniforms and balls used should be top notch, this goes a long way to making the team look professional. both are easy to do, but names like san diego boca just sound stupid, just as stupid as chivas usa and sporting kansas. names like LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers, Columbus Crew, Seattle Sounders, Chicago Fire all are great names that sound great and you arent afraid to tell your buddies that you like the Chicago fire, but try telling your non soccer friends that you like Sporting Kansas, Chivas USA, and they wont ever take you seriously. we are in the united states people! dont be a copycat and dont be a euro/mexican/south american wannabe (mate.) love the NPSL.
good idea, probably won't happen perhaps when the league has on average good crowds that are worth spending on those extras, until then no just as stupid as Kickers, Lakers, Diplomats, Caribous, Canvasbacks, Atoms yep, I tell that to my friends all the time, I have a Chilean friend that roots for the Santiago Wanderers An english team name in the Chilean league!, how stupid, same with Genoa, Milan, River Plate, Old Boys etc. etc. etc.(sarcasm) Let's not forget that Chivas USA has quite a following even with such stupid name I'm not saying don't change it to CD Chivas de LA or something like that but that's the great thing about the US, you can and people have because there's such a great influence of those surrounding cultures either way people will support a club if they identify with it and are catered by it, Italians from Brooklyn aren't going to stop supporting Brooklyn Italians, same with mexicans and Chivas USA, even teams with native american names like Chattanooga and Tulsa, why should they change? people still go out and support them and can boast larger crowds than teams with american english team names
I think a PDL team gets money if they develop a player that signs in the MLS, is this correct? Does a NPSL team get money too? How does this work and what is the incentive for an NPSL team to develop players for the MLS and what difference between financial reward for developing MLS players between the PDL and NPSL?
No, that's incorrect. Why would MLS pay PDL clubs when (a)the players they are signing aren't under contract and (b)the PDL didn't actually develop them anyway; they just had them for a few months in the summer.
I do not believe the PDL teams get anything for a player who was on their roster when they get selected in the Draft.
I agree with the two above posts. Also when a player is selected in the draft he is announced by his college team. John Smith defender from X college/University not John Smith defender from X PDL team. If it is someone who played for the US U17s or U20s and didn't play in college then it would be announced as something like "member of US U17s or U20s". A list is printed up every year of players drafted who have PDL experience but I think that is the only think linking them to PDL clubs. Even if PDL clubs did get some type of training compensation I doubt it would be very much money considering the league season is about 2-3 months. If any club were to get training compensation I think it would be youth clubs. This happens overseas although those youth clubs/academies are obviously a lot different than in the USA.
I've know PDL coaches who say to me that they get a development fee of some kind (I think it was around $250k) for some kind of development reimbursement from the USSF (not from the buying team.) PDL and MLS are not the same league. I'm just looking for clarification.
$250,000? LOL No way. I would love to know your source. Anyways, I just think the one main thing that NPSL needs to get is moving their players on to the bigger leagues. Once they are able to do that on a regular basis there is no argument on which league is better.