Anyone have any insight into when we might expect to hear about the structure of D2 next year, and where exactly the Aztex will fit in? Are there meetings scheduled or other indicators of when decisions will be made?
I bet there are two possibilties. One:USL has already thrown in the towel, but just hasn't explicitly told the world (in which we find out ealier than later). Or Two: USL-NASAL brinksmanship till March, and we don't learn anything solid until the season is almost on top of us in March (like last year).
USL will not do D2. The only possibilities for D2 are: 1. the NASL, and 2. the USSF running it again. I don't expect that we'll hear anything before the playoffs finish, meaning the end of October. My guess is that we'll hear something within a week or two after that. But definitely before early December. With the World Cup decisions being made then, the USSF will want things all in order before that. If the USSF decides, despite the issues with it, to sanction the NASL, then the Aztex will go there. If the USSF decides to not sanction the NASL, but, despite all the issues, to run the league again themselves, then the Aztex will go there. If neither of those things happen, the only place left is the USL PRO league, and that's where they'll be despite it causing some travel unhappiness for whichever teams they end up playing. All MHO, of course.
USL has their AGM in November, I assume that USL might expect Austin to make a call between USL Pro or NASL by then. Of course the big decision to make is based on NASL getting sanctioned.
Respuesta: Re: D2 structure news Doesn't the Aztex owneship realize that they could actually be helping that decision being made if they joined NASL now and help its case?? Specially considering how they would be helping themselves now that San Antonio is in. You'd think the fans want to know what league are purchasing season tickets pretty soon. But it seems like they're actually comfortable with the US Fed running the league. Nevertheless it's kind of naive to assume the Fed is gonna continue with that burden now that only 1 team out of the whole D2 scheme is out of NASL.
Re: Respuesta: Re: D2 structure news It's not naieve if you look at the number of teams that either league has which can meet the 2010 USSF standards for D2 teams. We're back in the same situation as last year where neither league has the number of teams to be sanctioned under the stated guidelines. In this case, the issue is the Financial criteria that the USSF has laid down. That's why many of us in Austin feel that USSF will again manage the league in 2010. If USSF is stating, which they haven't in recent months, that they're 100% against managing the league, then NASL would have the largest number of teams meeting the criteria. However, I and many others believe that the USSF will indeed step in for 2010 as the cost to manage is half what they expected, and they need to be seen as managing their internal leagues for the 2022 World Cup Draw which is scheduled for early December.