I know, my response was saying that I think they're jumping the gun by already listing him. Like, there's been crickets out of Utah about him leaving, and all his Twitter, Insta, and LinkedIn profiles still list Utah.
The fall portion of the USL Super League schedule has been released. They'll play 14 games between August 17 and December 14, then resume play in February. https://www.uslsuperleague.com/news...league-competition-structureusl-super-league/
Starting to look a lot more like a league now. It's never easy getting one off the ground, so well done to all involved for getting this far.
How long does this league have to last, with D1 sanctioning, before it's no longer considered a lower league?
It's a lower league until it can show equality with NWSL. Given there's no women's national cup, it will take a lot to prove that, unless it outlasts NWSL.
Based on the board structure here, I do think it's fine leaving USLSL talk in the "lower divisions" subforum for the reason above even if it is, technically speaking, the same division level as NWSL. It will be very interesting to see how quickly this situation "resolves" itself. AFAICT, with the exception of the recent ballooning of the men's D3 level, there have never been spans of competing sanctioned* leagues for more than a year. (*the years of non-sanctioned leagues during the "Soccer Wars" notwithstanding, and of course ignoring that amateur leagues compete all the time.) You have the 1967 competing D1 leagues NPSL and USA - both formed that year - then merging into the original NASL in 1968. The WSL formed in 1989, semi-competing at the D2 level with the sophomore third iteration of the ASL, with the two merging into the APSL in 1990. In 1992, some of the D3 USL clubs formed another competing D2 league, which them merged with the APSL in 1993 to form the A-League. Finally, you had the then-D3 USL receive D2 sanctioning for the 2017 season, putting it in competition with the new NASL for one year before they suspended operations. I don't see a merger or anyone folding in this new NWSL/USLSL competition because both NWSL and the parent USL organization are huge, robust, and healthy organizations. Even if there's high turnover in USLSL, I don't see it going away. I also don't see it ever losing D1 sanctioning unless USSF updates their requirements. NWSL certainly isn't going away - it's following the same blueprint that's made MLS a permanent fixture in the US sports landscape, and it's still growing. Interestingly, I do see one way the two leagues can directly compete on the field: the CONCACAF W Champions Cup. Since USLSL is a D1 league, the sanctioning requirements say that they must* participate in all eligible USSF and CONCACAF tournaments. (*how "required" this is has been thrown into chaos with the MLS/USOC debacle, but I digress.) Since USLSL is a D1 league, I fully expect them to push USSF into giving them some pathway into the CWCC. They could get (a) direct slot(s) into the competition, and then we'd see how they stack up against international competition vs how NWSL stacks up, and maybe even get some matches between the two leagues in the group stage or knockouts; they could get a playoff spot against NWSL sides for the direct CWCC slots; or USSF could make itself look even sillier and simply never give USLSL any pathway to the CWCC, making their division sanctioning rules look even more like a sham. (My bet is on the playoff option unless CWCC expands so that USSF gets four or five total slots.)
It's a genuinely fascinating time. USLS even taking the field this fall will feel like something that shouldn't have been possible with the trail of failed women's D1 leagues before NWSL. I'm still thinking someone at USSF updates the standards for each division to make it harder for USLS to keep their D1 status, but of course nobody really knows if that will even be necessary in another 6 months, much less 24+.
I could see it being considered closer to equal if they start stealing talent that was expected to go to the NWSL, like the AFL did to the NFL. Once they were merged, the NFL teams won almost 2/3 of the games against AFL teams, but before they merged there was at least some debate thanks to the level of names the AFL was able to get. If the USLSL wants to compete, that might be how.
If they appeared to be equal on the field, I think the chances of a merger or de-facto merger (shared playoffs) would increase dramatically (currently as per above posters I would say it's zero). So far NWSL can say it competes with other world top leagues for talent, has more than a decade on the field, and participates in competitions with other regional top leagues. USLSL can say it has a few players signed. A year down the road I don't think there's any reason that USLSL should be denied at least the opportunity to play into CONCACAF W Champions Cup, given that Whitecaps Girls Elite FC has a preliminary entry spot (presumably that will go to NSL/P8 in the future).
With the league starting up soon, I decided to start up a season-specific thread for more discussion! That was this thread can be more general league news and - hopefully - any news we get of WISL or WPSL Pro https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/2024-25-usl-super-league.2130822/ So far, doesn't look like there's any significant "stealing" going on... Lots of drafted-and-let-go rookies, national team replacement players, and just one or two long-term players looking for something new.
Decided to actually follow up on this X-D WISL is still silent, but there's actually news to share about WPSL Pro from earlier this year! Originally (August), five teams signed LOIs to join WPSL Pro in 2025 - Oklahoma City FC, Sioux Falls City FC, SouthStar FC, Austin Rise FC, and The Town FC. "The Town" doesn't immediately say anything about location, but it's the men's D3 affiliate to the San Jose Earthquakes, so we have a very Sun-Belt-y set of teams to start with save for Sioux Falls. Then, back in February, the league added two more teams for 2025 - Georgia Impact FC and AC Houston Sur - and an extra team for 2026 in the Dakota Fusion FC, giving a slightly better northern presence for season two. So that's 7 for year 1 and 8 for year 2, when the D3 rules need 6 for year 1 and 8 for year 3, so assuming no one drops, they're looking good. With the exception of The Town FC, most of these teams already compete in WPSL proper, and a few (Austin, Dakota) already are semi-pro apparently. I'm a bit surprised that some of the traditional WPSL power clubs aren't signed up for WPSL Pro, though maybe they like being the best of the amateurs and want to keep at that without the higher costs of going pro. Also, the league's current site and branding are temporary, with full reveals planned for the end of 2024.
Well well, barely a month of existence and the DC Power has already done a massive rebrand. Instead of being a red-and-black side-on angel wing, it's now a black-blue-and-white front-on set of angel wings with electric motifs emanating from the Washington Monument. IMO it looks more like a lighthouse than anything. Also, they've changed the website to say "the newest professional women's soccer team" now. I wonder how much flack they caught and from how many sides
The WPSL Pro announced a Northeast Ohio (Cleveland) group has signed a letter of intent for the new league. Looks like the group trying to bring an NWSL team to Cleveland is behind this effort. https://wpslpro.com/wpsl-pro-moves-into-northeast-ohio-ahead-of-2025-launch/
WPSL Pro three more new teams for 2025: one in the MidWest with a team in Wichita (name TBD), the second in the SouthEast region with Soda City FC of South Carolina, and just today announcing Indios Denver FC. https://wpslpro.com/wpsl-pro-receiv...t-from-sports-investment-group-in-wichita-ks/ https://wpslpro.com/wpsl-pros-tenth-loi-market-widens-league-footprint-on-atlantic-coast/ https://wpslpro.com/wpsl-pro-secures-denver-market-with-twelfth-loi-submission/ Soda City don't look like they're active in WPSL for 2024, but they do have a men's team in UPSL already. Indios Denver have been in WPSL for around six seasons so far. Interestingly, Indios' announcement says they're the 12th team for 2025, but as far as I can tell, 12 would include the Dakota Fusion that previously committed to a 2026 expansion. AFAICT they still haven't officially received DIII sanctioning, but I'd be surprised if they don't get it at this point.
Last week, WPSLPRO got another LoI in, this time from SoCal. One owner, Aaron Rodriguez, already has a team (FC Premier) in WPSL itself that just concluded its fourth season, and another owner Oak Sports Holdings runs Ventura County FC (MLS Next Pro), so it sounds like they're creating a loosely bound "club" out there with teams in multiple lower-division leagues.