That's true of the Championship (although I will bet dollars to doughnuts that Memphis, New Mexico, and El Paso get a pass because their owners control scheduling and revenues at their baseball stadiums), but there is no such mandate for League One.
So now with Omaha coming in the West and Rochester and Penn Fc coming in the East, still need a few more teams in the west to help with travel/balance. If I were soccer god for the day whistling, I would add LAG 2, RSL Monarchs and Swope Park (for sure as instant rival with Omaha) out of the USL-C , maybe even RG Valley. Another maybe would be Colorado Springs based on market size/geographical location. I would move at least Madison over to the west (if USL-1 is going to build West/East Conferences and maybe even Lansing to fill up the west. The East also has some other clear possibilities, but adding them would really get the east/west balance out of wack. The obvious to me, soccer god I am, would be RBNY2, Bethlehem, Loudon and ATL 2, since once again, all MLS linked. As for non-linked cities, maybe Charleston if they want to fit to a smaller budget and would be nice to see the Wilmington Hammerheads come back. I could foresee this league getting pretty large. My other thought if some of these teams move down from USL-C, may open some slots for other markets for USL-C. Will be very, very interesting going forward. = = Any other rumors out there of any other cities interested?
Last I knew, the DM Menace are still talking with the league. Now that the owner's new corporate headquarters is open downtown, I suspect that the work on a potential stadium will resume. The city is revitalizing a lot of land in the downtown to Capitol area of Des Moines - including a few large plats capable of hosting a SSS roughly a mile from the K&G HQ. Des Moines is a natural rival for Omaha too.
This might be my least favorite USL-meme: "may open some slots for other markets for USL-C". Teams don't have to leave to open up slots. There is no limit on the slots in USL-C. None, other than markets that can support a team but the presence of other teams has no impact on that. It could grow to 50 or 60 teams. I don't think it will but it could. There is virtually no shared national revenue that would be diminished. More teams means more regionalism which is a good thing. The fact that there are 38 teams now doesn't mean that is some sort of limit so no team can join unless someone leaves. It just doesn't.
Update after Year 1 with USL1 operating: 10 teams finished the season 9 teams exist, Lansing Ignite fold after season (official announcement 10/21) 3 announced for 2020 entry -- Omaha, New England II, Inter Miami II Penn FC and Rochester Rhinos anticipated reentry at some point
Pretty decent with having to deal with the MLS2 sides. Hopefully with more new sides the average will go up.
Two of the three announced expansion teams are MLS2 teams and Penn FC can't draw (if they even come back). If more MLS2 teams drop down, no, it probably won't go up.
You are probably right. Maybe when the league gets near the 36 to 40 envisioned at the start of the division the 2 sides will be somewhat overcome. Probably several years down the road on that and on how many 2 teams drop. Looks like a great draw in Madison. Now the question becomes can they maintain or improve on it.
It’s always talked about in how tickets are counted/sold. Example: players with the Kickers’ club all get season tickets, so they’re always counted. Sure, corporate tickets and all are speculation too. I’m sure USL has given some lofty attendance numbers teams could aim towards. I’m with Kenn, 2020 probably won’t be anything higher.
I have a hard time seeing 40 D3 teams, but maybe all those cities that lose their minor league baseball teams will use their stadiums for USL League One teams.
I have a hard time seeing 40 D3 teams on top of 40 D2 teams with between 30 - 40 in MLS. Even with some overlap in the same city, 70-80 franchises in the top 2 divisions doesn't leave a whole lot of oxygen for League One, unless it's mostly reserve sides for the top 2 divisions.
----------------- An endless number of teams does not make for good soccer, just look at the soccer history in this country of all the leagues and all the teams that have come and gone. - My hope was with USL that they would taking really hard looks at ownership groups regardless of what level they were applying for so we don't go back to days of adding 5, dropping 2 the next year, adding 3, dropping 1 over and over again. Now the the Lansing owner is surprised about how much money he lost (or similar quote in articles) I am just saying, i would rather have quality over quantity and longevity over the flash in the pan. - I have always felt since we will never have pro/rel in this country in my lifetime, then the Baseball style could work. But even now, you have MLB taking about contracting some minor league teams/leagues. So soccer needs to be careful. - Basic set up I would work towards (using existing league names just as an example) D1 MLS 32 /\ /\ D2 USL-C 32 /\ /\ D3 USL- 1 64 (Possibly each of the D1 & D2 reserve teams in a geographically tighter area, avoid cross-country. /\ Maybe 4 conferences of 16 teams with a 30 game schedule within conference would be a good /\ number especially for a reserve league D4 USL -2 ? Unknown number, but possibly each D1 & D2 could put their U-23 team in this league, draft picks from college - assuming the draft even continues, otherwise not sure why we have this league. If you are going to have an academy system with each D1 & D2 team, and assuming academy stop at high school U18, you could feed D4. D4 may have to be a hybrid team as their are kids who are still wanting to go to college and you need a place for your Academy players once high school is over. The schedule would also have to be a bit long, thus the dilemma for college players. Or do we go away from the NCAA altogether and simply work an Academy> League progression?
How are those things related? How is the number of teams and leagues "that have come and gone" in the last century plus in any way related to the number of teams we can have now, today? You know that's not what's happening here, right? You get that these days are nothing like those days, right? I mean...you get that, right? You can do math?
Well, it is, to a degree: we've lost Lansing, are gaining Omaha and two reserve teams. In the Championship, we're losing Nashville and gaining San Diego, etc. Different circumstances, but same result, of course. But I'm not really sure that matters much? I think it's fairly safe to say that the reason why don't see major league teams fold is because the economics allow them to get out of major financial problems through the threat of (or following through with) relocation. Lower leagues (non baseball division) don't have that option, so there's naturally going to be more turnover, I think.
I'd add that Major League teams are most likely to sell to new ownership groups than minor league teams have been, at least until this point. If minor league's start building stadiums then it is more likely that they change hands (see San Antonio). But those are the teams that are likely a bit more stable than the teams renting facilities. If you're renting facilities ... what really is there to "buy" outside of branding and "history"?
Customer lists. an existing loyal fan base, an experienced FO staff, existing working relationship with the local municipality and local soccer community, etc, etc. Basically, the same "intangibles" that anyone has to buy a local business that doesn't own the building it is in. Heck, it's likely less expensive to buy the existing team and carrying on than it would be to wait for the existing team to fail and then start over.
I feel like Phoenix and San Antonio dispute this a bit. On the other hand, we've got Tampa Bay and Tulsa that changed hands without liquidation. I think it depends a lot on the debts being assumed. There's a rule of thumb on used car buying which is "don't buy other people's projects" and I think that would apply to a degree here, as well.
The last point is extremely valid, the rest of it doesn't have much value. You'll may not want the existing FO staff if they were underperforming. You can get the local business and soccer community on board if done right without having to "buy the last under performing team".
-------------------------------- History of the past is suppose to prevent repeats in the future, at least in theory. I can only feel comfortable to some extent that MLS despite its rapid expansion, will not be the next NASL. Many people have posted what happens when the expansion fees stop or if the TV numbers don't improve, will MLS be strong enough- all franchises, since we know in the current world, we have a few weak teams. I still feel uncomfortable with the lower divisions. Yeh, great, the math says maybe less teams and even leagues are going out of business, but they still are. (NASL 2, Lansing, looks like Fresno, not sure if Rochester or Penn FC are even coming back etc and in the realm of PDL & NPSL, turnover is constant) I have been going to games in all leagues since around 1976, I will concede there has been improvement, but I still hold worries especially in the lower divisions. Otherwise, if all our eggs are in the MLS basket, we will be top heavy, and not much underneath to support.
For the 2020 season, Forward Madison is moving their home games from Breeze Stevens Field in Madison to Hart Park in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa (map). Press Release USL League One is on course to return to play on July 18, but Forward Madison FC will not be allowed to host games at Breese Stevens Field due to public health restrictions in Dane County. Current guidelines do not allow for full-contact sports, meaning the team is simply not permitted to host matches in Dane County and will be relocating to Hart Park in Wauwatosa on a temporary basis. “Breese Stevens Field is our home and will be for many years to come. However, in order to fulfill our obligations to USL League One and participate this season, it is necessary to temporarily make a home somewhere else,” Forward Madison FC COO and owner Conor Caloia said. "We would like to thank the City of Wauwatosa for welcoming us for the 2020 season. We are excited to be bringing professional soccer to Hart Park."
Interesting. This is where the Milwaukee Torrent play (although they aren't this year). I wonder how many Forward fans will make the hour drive.