Several factors have drawn these stakeholders into discussions of creating a Canadian Division 2. With Canadian pro soccer shifting towards domestication, concern surrounds future sanctioning to continue playing in American leagues— Simon Fudge (@SimonFudge74) December 16, 2019 Several clubs are believed to have expressed an interest in a new 🇨🇦 Div 2. They include Victoria @HighlandersFC and Vancouver @TSSRovers in BC; Calgary @FoothillsFCU23 and a group in Edmonton; plus a club in Saskatchewan led by the @SSSSeries group and a Kelowna investor group— Simon Fudge (@SimonFudge74) December 16, 2019 It is not clear what the future of clubs like WSA Winnipeg or Thunder Bay Chill is in the changing landscape, however, several groups in Eastern Canada have also expressed interest in joining a Canadian Division 2 as an alternative to the CPL (Tier 1), L1 Ontario or PLSQ (Tier 3)— Simon Fudge (@SimonFudge74) December 16, 2019
I'm excited about the CPL and also about the growth of D3 including the new L1BC. I'm still puzzled about the economics of the proposed D2. D3 makes sense because it is very low budget soccer. From my own connections I know that an L1O team can be run on a budget of $50 000 (although some probably spend more). L1BC is apparently asking for $60 000. Firm budget information for the CPL is hard to come by. Taking various statements and rumours, however, we were told that the ownership groups were going to "invest" $5 million per year per team. Payroll is rumoured to be around $1 million so that means ~$4 million for non-payroll costs. These numbers may be off a bit but they seem reasonable for national level travel teams based on information that has been released over the years for other leagues. The proposed D2 is still a national travel level league. Even in the lowest-cost option where the players were unpaid, the non-payroll expenses are still going to be similar to the CPL. How many cities/ownership groups are there where it would make sense to run a $4 million D2 team but going all the way to a $5 million D1 team is out of the question? It seems more like cities/ownership groups can either float a low budget D3 team or a full budget D1 team. There doesn't seem to be much benefit to, say, the TSS Rovers to fly to, say, D2 Moncton instead of D1 Halifax.
Seems like the proposed format would be CHL style in D2 and not D3 which points out to provincial Leagues. This would slash travel costs quite a bit while adopting a format already known to Canadians and popular which could lead to a "Memorial Cup" We don't know any numbers but the main positive point is that amateur & semi-pro are willing to step up to become fully pro due to the changes within Canadian soccer. They have lots of years to figure out how it can work. There's a willingness that wasn't there before TSS Rovers would be in D2 "Western League or Pacific League". There would be no flying all over the place. I'm speculating that promoting brings the added perks of a bigger pie of the CSB TV revenues, increased attendance and merchandise but most importantly, much more sponsorship and corporate revenues helping them operating in the D1 league. Worse come to worse, like elsewhere, a promoted club is free to go the following route 1-Spend a lot to be competitive within CPL (Exemple a Regina club owned by the CFL Roughriders could) 2-spend to avoid relegation (example a Kelowna Club) 3-Minimize spending at all cost which will get you relegated and someone else will go to CPL and perhaps spend more. (Example, Kingston wins the promotion unexpectedly and are unwilling/unable to spend like the rest)
This backs up what a stakeholder told me in the summer. There is an appetite to create a D2 league by investors interested in dipping toe in water of pro game but not yet convinced their market can sustain #CanPL https://t.co/25DZpW12Qm— Duane Rollins (@24thminute) December 16, 2019 The CanPL would becaware if it, yes. This isn’t an attempt to start a rival league.— Duane Rollins (@24thminute) December 16, 2019
It was felt that fast tracking a D2 would speed up the expansion in D1 because it would allow markets to get up and running faster while working to meet D1 requirements. Maybe pro/rel down road, but for now a testing ground for investors— Duane Rollins (@24thminute) December 17, 2019
Better clarification on the D2 📰 | https://t.co/YwKJ2A4mCC | #CanPL | Soccer Today! Purposed Can. Div 2 talk With Simon Fudge— CanPL FC 🇨🇦⚽ (@CanPL_FC) December 19, 2019
In summary, they are doing a lot of thinking but don't have information on any actual plans. They suggest four groups that might be interested in D2: - teams currently in USL2 that are worried about the CSA pulling their sanctioning - Canadian MLS teams looking for options for their reserve sides - potential CPL expansion groups that want to test a market - existing D3 teams that want take another step up They suggest that D2 could actually be more like a tournament than a true league (at least to start) and that it could be divided into east and west regions.
The D2 being talked about right now is like you said, the tournament or an expanded version of the Saskatchewan series. The CPL is aware but not that involved with it for now. The goal of the tournament would be to allow investors to test their markets before committing to CPL (either tiers). This allows places like Kelowna, Sherbrooke or other mid-size market to field a team and test. The establishment of a proper D2 league starts and end with CPL. Those groups are just being proactively exploring their market and where they could potentially fit whereas it could be CPL or D2 or D3. If their testing shows that CPL is too high, then they would know that D2 is a better place to start and build from there until potentially promoting to CPL
One of the tweets says "that would play from May to August," so that's four months if all of May and August were used. At one game per week, there's time for a double round-robin group of six (10 games) or quadruple round-robin group of four (12 games) followed by playoffs. If clubs play about six away games, that's not much travel.
Division II and III Sources are indicating that the BC clubs (TSS Rovers, Victoria Highlanders and Vancouver Whitecaps Academy) have opted out of the Division 2 league that's in the work. They will join the new D3 league BC League One which is sanctioned and guarantees its champion a berth in the Canadian Championship. The Division 2 league should really be a "Prairies D3" in my opinion
Given the geography in this country, an ideal world would be having an Ontario League, Quebec League, Maritimes League, a BC League, and a Prairies league. Allowing for things like Ottawa playing in the Quebec league, and Kenora in the Prairies League. I'd think we were still a long-way from needing a league between CPL and the provincial leagues ... we have 9 teams now, and we could double that without needing another league.
I simply don't think it will happen on a national leavel when there's strong provincial leagues. The travel costs are too high. Unless it's really an Ontario league under the guise of a national league.
Clubs like Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Foothills and BC Clubs have been traveling all over the US and even had to pay for the costs of some of their opponents in PDL and USL-2. In the context of a national D2 league, those costs would be brought down by being strictly Canadian. Also, the league being under the CSB umbrella is a huge plus and a must. Owners would be buying into CSB which allows them to receive other streams of income. They would be included in the next TV deal as of 2029 which makes me think that they could launch the league anytime between 2026 to 2029 with a Pro/rel formula for 2030. CPL will go "2.0" right after 2026 - the intend is to have the D2 run at current CPL "1.0" level then. Provincial leagues will be acquired by CSB. Their best players will move up to D2 and D3 is aimed to be the developmental league of both D1 and D2 - so no pro/rel anytime soon with Provincial leagues.
Say there's a D2 national league. Say it's divided between East and West. Is Calgary going to go to Thunder Bay? Is Thunder Bay going to travel to Edmonton? That's a 21 hour drive. If you're Edmonton and Calgary, aren't you better off playing other AMSL teams? Do you gain much by playing a team in Regina? I've got to agree with nfitz. I just dont see it.
The current proposed D2, you're right. I don't buy it. Under CSB? I do. CSB would allow only club ownership capable of operating at that level - Thunder Bay might not make it and be a D3 clubs after all. Those owners would have to buy into CSB to access those other revenue streams and sponsorship deals like the league's partnership with Westjet that knocked down travelling costs for the league. All I'm saying is that CSB planned a national D2 - fully pro at CPL 1.0 level by end of decade. It's doable in my opinion
If it happens, that will be how: D1 will have to go up to make space for a D2 league that operates at the level that D1 does today. The question then would just be whether it's worth it. Is it better to have a D2 or, instead, to have a D1 and then a bunch of D3 regional leagues where the D3 leagues include a few very strong teams that could be D2 if they wanted?