And I couldn't take it seriously after he promoted the crappiest team with arguably the lowest player salaries in the USL this season to the 2nd Division while adding the PDL/NPSL's non-existent OKC FC to his 3rd Division. Pro/Rel may never make sense between the 2nd Division NASL and the defacto 4th Division NPSL, but why restrict MLS2 clubs to a 3rd Division USL if several of those teams have bigger budgets for salaries and will be playing consistently better soccer than several of the independent USL clubs participating in the 2nd Division?
To be fair, it was thorough, if perhaps too earnest. It is reasonable to put forth the notion of pro/rel between Divisions 2 and 3 (or 3 and 4 if USSF ever decided to actually create such a thing) as being far more reasonable that results-based pro/rel between Divisions 1 and 2. There is still a decent-sized operational gap between 2 and 3, but it is likely more navigable in the next five-to-ten years than the gap between 1 and 2. If we can get better-financed clubs in all lower divisions and get them into SSSs, that will help, though it's still not an easy process. Jeff's point about MLS2 teams is a decent one, as far as salaries and quality of play go. But they are still developmental teams and their relationships with MLS parents and a seeming reluctance on most of their parts to market the product in a meaningful way makes them odd ducks.
Doesn't D2 need to get to a level to where they spend enough to ensure there aren't that many MLS2 teams capable of "staying" in D2 for long? There really shouldn't be more than 1 or 2 teams in there. I think if you look at Spain D2, German D3 and others around the globe, they don't exclude developmental teams, but it's hard for them to get there and stay there ... and they certainly don't overpopulate those leagues. I don't see an issue if there's a team or 2 of MLS2 teams in D2. And I think if you take the best of USL and NASL and have a few good expansions come in, it would be tough for them at the same time raise the bar to the D2 independents.
As long as they play in the same market as the parent club, I think that's the way it's gonna be. But I also see Seattle openly talking about moving S2 to Tacoma and rebranding the team. If they did that, then I think you'd see a radically different approach to marketing their MLS2 team. If it's successful there, I could see some other MLS teams following suit.
The second teams are at a really early stage of their existence. Obviously the priority right now is nearly exclusively on player development. But personally, I think the teams with smart, long-term vision can foresee an MLS where a cheap local alternative serves as an important brand extension. I actually think the "2" branding will flourish in about a decade as MLS ticket prices become more like conventional North American big league teams (unfortunately). Also, I can't get over the cognitive dissonance of people who pedestal European conventions and criticize MLS for not having "real clubs", but can't understand the idea of second teams and rant against them with the greatest vitriol.
And Portland is moving T2 to Providence Park next season. There have also been rumors that T2 will move to Boise in the future (a competing rumor is that a different USL, Timbers-affiliated team will be in Boise). It could very well be that this is associated more with USL's push for DII than it is for Seattle and Portland to possibly make a few extra bucks (or lose fewer) with their DII sides. If we hear over the off season about more MLS teams doing this, I suspect it is about USL/DII.
While this is true of Spain (and the reserves of even the biggest clubs tend to be yo-yo teams between second and third tiers), the German league system does limit reserve teams. No more than 4 reserve teams may be in the 3.Liga; if there are four already in the league and none are relegated, then no reserve teams are promoted from below. It seems like most years at least one reserve team is denied promotion for that reason.
I may be thinking of the level below, then. The 4th tier also has a limit, no more than 7 reserve teams in any regional league.