I believe the standards are absolutly stupid. Im all for standarsds for D@ and have been advocating it for years however it should be reasonable. Having 20 million for a second division franchise is stupid.
I think the standards are fine, but if the USSF doesn't want to be running D2 agan next year, they should grant a few one-year exemptions. If teams that don't make standards now can't get up to standards by 2012, then they need to drop down or fold. But I think the standards have come out really too late in this season for full implimentation by the start of next season to be reasonable. Of course, what we really needed is these standards five to ten years ago, but you can't change the past.
I do think standards shouldve went into effect in 2012 so it gives them time to get there crap together instead of killing off half of the franchises.
I think for 2011 the NASL will be sanctioned and allow the teams looking for investers to continue looking up to the end of the 2011 season and NASL will have to have a few Expansion teams ready for 2012 just in case certain clubs dont make the cut. USL pro will be the D3 and with it regional leagues it will create stability in d3 while the new standards create staility for NASL clubs in D2.
USSF should also have standard limiting the number of teams in each division. 24 for MLS instead of just let it expand to 28 30 32 or whatever. That way we'll have strongest of the strongest in MLS. Little bit less than will flock to D2 and form strong D2 league.
So, here's the question: How long do you keep giving teams a chance to get their crap together? The problem with the USL has been that they keep letting in teams that don't have their crap together with the hope/dream that they'll eventually get their crap together. But that rarely (25% of the time) happens. Let's say they sanction the NASL, giving teams a chance to find a wealthy investor by 2012. Then we get to 2012, and none of Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Baltimore and St. Louis pull it off (a reasonable assumption, given the history of D2 soccer in the US). Montreal moves to MLS. Then what? You're back to square minus one (since Montreal is going, you need to find yet another team along with the problem four to fill out the USSF requirements), and people say 'give them yet another year' and before you know it, you have USL1 all over again.
all that and they have to find three teams by 2012 bringing the total of teams to 10 and then expand to 12 two years after that and another adding third time zone.
Just figured I'd quote this one for truth. Heh. As VC said, USL took the NASL approach to letting teams in. They didn't care about whether or not the owners could actually support the team, or if there was any hope in the market for soccer to thrive. As long as the team had the franchise fee, USL let them in. That isn't a knock on the owners creating the teams, but rather on USL because it wasn't a venture to improve soccer in this country, but rather a way for Marcos to line his pockets. One of the reasons why MLS has survived and has had as much stability as it has is because of the standards it has established in order for a team to be created. I don't see anything wrong with USSF applying standards to D2 if the end result of that is the revolving door of teams comes to an end.
I think NASL will have D2 next year Carolina RailHawks (in) Montreal Impact (in til 2012) Miami FC Blues (in) FC Tampa Bay (in) Rochester Rhinos (I think they will rejoin once the dust settles) Austin Aztex (same as Rochester) Puerto Rico Islanders (in and will be given a waiver) AC St. Louis (if rumors of new invester/owner is true, they will be in) FC Edmonton (in) NSC Minnesota (needs invester or will fold or join USL PRO) Crystal Palace Baltimore (needs investers or will fold)