Sorry, let me reword that. They were unwilling to follow criteria. They made it easier for themselves to be D3 and now call themselves D2 anyway. At least that is how I look at it.
Yeah, this. USL Pro actually meets most of the D2 criteria already. So does the NASL. The only difference is, the NASL wants to meet all of them and wants to have to meet all of them.
They don't yet have teams in three time zones, and they don't yet have independent ownership for all teams.
Markets; Stadia; and Fields i. In the first year, U.S.-based teams must be located in at least two different time zones in the continental United States. By year six, U.S.-based teams must be located in at least three different time zones. ii. At least 75 percent of the league’s teams must play in metropolitan markets of at least 750,000 persons. iii. League stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 5,000. iv. Not later than 120 days prior to the start of each season, each team shall have a lease for one full season with its home stadium. Financial Viability i. Each team must submit a letter of credit in the amount of $750,000 with the joint beneficiaries being the Federation and the league in a form satisfactory to the Federation on an annual basis. The letter of credit will be used to cover the costs of the team’s operations (including, without limitation, player and staff salaries and wages, stadium lease commitments and third party vendor obligations in addition to commitments by each team to the league) for a season should that become necessary. The letters of credit must be submitted 120 days prior to the start of the next season for each team. Any team that utilizes the letter of credit during the season will be required to replenish the letter of credit at least 120 days prior to the next year. ii. Each team ownership group must demonstrate the financial capacity to operate the team for three years. As part of the process of demonstrating financial capacity, each ownership group must provide detailed financial history, verifiable individual financial net worth statements for each member of its ownership group owning at least a five percent (5%) interest in the team and projections (including a detailed budget) for the team to the Federation in a form satisfactory to the Federation. iii. Each team must have and designate one principal owner that owns at least 35% of the team and has authority to bind the team. Such principal owner must have an individual net worth of at least twenty million US dollars exclusive of the value of his/her ownership in the league or team.
4 years to go so not so bad. I think all 8 teams meet the requirenments right, even Bayamon. (Cosmos and Ottawa will) This may be an Issue in Tampa bay, isn't the Stadium cap 4,700 with out extra seating? Atlanta is at 5K so good, Edmonton has issues here Clark is max at 3.5K I think. Minnessota I think is ok. San Antonio will be ok also. So really 1 maybe 2 teams that could fail this. This one is a year by year. This is may be hard for many PDL teams looking to make the jump (well the ownership wealth will be harder I guess). ???? How wealthy is Traffic? Ha, I used to think this was 50% and 50 Million. What does "authority to bind the team" mean?
How many of these UDLPRO teams meet USSF div2 criteria ? Orlando, Rochester, Charleston yes, maybe Wilmington but the other teams I don't think so
I'm not too sure of that. Some of the owners in the league don't seem to have the amount of cash that is needed to meet the standards. NASL also has 1 owner for 3 different teams. But to be fair, MLS has AEG that owns the Galaxy and Dynamo. It depends on how the USSF interprets their guidelines.
Also HSG owns FC Dallas and The Crew. NASL stood up and said not only will we do everything we can to meet D2 standards but they also want to exceed them. NASL stood up to the challenge while USL-Pro ran away with their tail between their legs.
IMO, the NASL has improved Division 2 from what it used to be. The Team Schedules are more stretched out (where you won't see 3 league matches played in a given week), you don't have stupid music playing during run of play on the P.A. system, Home/Away Final, etc. etc. Obviously, it has its flaws. It will never be perfect, but when comparing it to past incarnations of D2 in North America, it has greatly improved.
As it stands, Al Lang Stadium has a "permanent" seating capacity of, at least, 5,300, according to the Rowdies' Front Office. Stadium officials have it at 7,000, but I believe the Front Office more on this one.
You bring up a great point about what the NASL has done to make Division Two more professional. There is a lot involved in that, but the scheduling shows that they are concerned with product they are putting out on the field. This can not be underestimated. USL still schedules the Pro league like the PDL (not quite as bad) with two game roadtrips over a weekend for teams. NASL has cut that out with few exceptions and even reduced the number of midweek games as well. Going forward it is little things like this that will improve the quality of the NASL in comparison to the USL. The expansion teams and better facilities will come in time, but operating like a pro league and carefully selecting owners who share that vision is key.
Regarding scheduling, I wonder if NASL will expand the schedule to November in the future, it will be hard with teams in Edmonton, Ottawa, Minneapolis. Right now it is a 6 month regular season with October for playoffs.
I would much rather have them play earlier in the year, so that our preseason can go along with both the MLS and USL Pro's preseason. This would equal more preseason matches between our clubs. I'd love to see the Rowdies play in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic!
Not all the criteria, and especially most of them don't meet the ones about financial viability. But I didn't say all, I said most - what USL is unwilling to do, unlike NASL, is strive to actually get there.
Very much this. And let's also acknowledge that the standards NASL is working to meet 100% of the way are themselves a significant improvement in D2 soccer, and came about in large measure because TOA pushed for them - which USL never did.
Actually they have teams in four time zones. Having more than the minimum is not a failure. It's only the independent team ownership they fail, as Traffic currently owns 3 1/2 teams. No complaint here. Multiple games in a week repeatedly is tiring. There's really no point to it. There's enough problems with USL. This isn't one of them. I have never heard music during run of play. Not even at a PDL match. Even if it was done in the past, that is a team perrogative. Matter of personal taste. Home/away is fine, but most Americans simply don't care. (And no, a preponderance of BigSoccer members does not equal "most Americans".) If MLS thought they did, they'd have home/away at all playoff levels.
Watch a Harrisburg City Islanders' Home Game. It's Brutal!....it may not be as rampant as it used to be (I know 'cause I used to work for the League), but one is too many IMO.
I've watched quite a few, and never noticed any. Then again, I may not be able to hear them through the feed's mid-game commercials And like I said, team perrogative. You'll have to get their supporters to hammer their team management.
Here's something I found a bit funny. If you click on the rotating "Expansion Opportunities" ad on the USLsoccer.com homepage(having an ad for expansion teams is pretty funny to begin with), you see a letter from Tim Holt and this photo: That's the Timbers Army. Maybe it's time for them to get a new photo, maybe from a game featuring teams still in USL lol.
I laugh everytime I see the "Expansion Opportunities" banner on their site. I feel like I'm visiting McDonald's, Wendy's, or Burger King's website!
Clarke Stadium in Edmonton was supposed to be over 5K this year, but a motherlode of red tape and bad weather in the late winter and early spring prevented the seating expansion from happening. By all accounts, Clarke is on target to be over 5K in time for the start of the 2013 season.