Sporting JAX Development Company? Sporting Club Jacksonville is proud to announce the appointment of Michael McNaughton as President of the Sporting JAX Development Company.With 30+ years leading large-scale, mixed-use development, he’ll oversee the real estate vision behind our future community-centered… pic.twitter.com/uP1518CCoh— Sporting JAX (@sporting_jax) February 24, 2026
Do they have a future stadium location yet? Tim Tebow is the designated famous sports-person co-owner.
USLPA going all in and spitting chiclets! This is not an isolated breakdown. It is a broken system that prioritizes expansion while allowing instability to fester within its ecosystem. Players deserve a league that stands behind them and a structure that protects them. This is not it. #StandUpForStandards pic.twitter.com/FU3didzOB6— USLPA (@USLPlayers) February 25, 2026
Are they wrong tho? As much as people like to through the "Ponzi scheme" moniker at MLS, USL's constant rotation teams paying the expansion fee, while others bow out, seems to far better match the moniker than MLS ever did.
Seems closer to rent-seeking than a Ponzi scheme. Older clubs aren't having their investments fraudulently inflated by inflow from new investors. If I understand the structure correctly, the expansion fees just go to the central league organization--not sure if existing clubs see any benefit from them other than having more opponents to play.
More information about the USL Structure: While teams fold, the USL is cashing expansion fees.A privately owned league without revenue-sharing, the USL has an incentive to keep expanding without fully vetting new owners.Read @USLTactics on a business model — and a league — at a crossroads ⤵️https://t.co/ujUA9nQwz3— Backheeled (@Backheeled) February 26, 2026
The USLPA is just HAMMERING this drum: These aren’t abstract issues.This is housing.⁰This is visas.⁰This is medical risk.⁰This is someone’s livelihood.#StandUpForStandards pic.twitter.com/wV4AJOPlAR— USLPA (@USLPlayers) February 26, 2026
I haven’t followed this league much. I never understood what the PA really expected, given that it’s only the last, say, 20 years that we’ve felt confident in MLS’ longevity. Now I think I get it; tell me if I’m wrong. The beef is that NuRock is adding teams for the expansion fees, but way, way too often those clubs are non viable. And that hurts the players. If I’m right, it seems to me that the players are (or should be) advocating cutting back on union jobs in exchange for those jobs not being so shitty in terms of pay and stability. Their beef really is with NuRock, and the league office, and not the individual clubs. Am I right?
It's a combination. It looks like the league is pushing as much as possible onto the clubs and the clubs don't have the money to guarantee protections.
USLPA votes to authorize strike if necessary: https://www.espn.in/football/story/_/id/48050987/uslpa-authorizes-strike-season-kickoff-looming USL's response: USL Statement pic.twitter.com/1tbXg7yPz4— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) February 27, 2026
“USL is completely unique in professional sports that you have a privately held company that owns the league.” USL Players’ Association rejected latest CBA proposal from USL and authorized a strike. Connor Tobin, executive director of USLPA, explains the business model of USL. “USL is completely unique in professional sports that you have a privately held company that owns the league,” he said. “In every other sports league, the league entity does not act as an independent profit center.” “Instead, the league brings in income and then in some way, shape, or form, that revenue is then distributed out to its clubs. That's not how USL works.” “When the money comes into the league. Again, the league's privately held so those owners are the beneficiaries, not the team owners.” “And so one of the things that we have in this ecosystem is a misalignment of financial incentives.” “You have a lot of the investment to build these clubs and build these community assets that are happening at a localized level. Those are team owners that are putting that up.” “They're carrying a lot of the risk, but a lot of the benefits are held by the league office. There's a disconnect there.” “So we can have expansion, we can launch a new league, we can sell new teams. That benefits one entity, it doesn't necessarily stabilize the club entities.” “If the clubs aren't stable. What happens to the players? Because the clubs are our direct employer.” “So again, this is about an ecosystem and an overall business environment. Is it aligned? Is it in balance? Is it working in unison?” “It’s not just risk to the club owners, it’s risk to the players.” “You’re asking about Tormenta, you’re asking about NCFC (both clubs are now on hiatus). Players have signed contracts, who’s carrying the risk in these situations?” “These are guys that signed leases. They’ve moved families to those locations. They’ve sat in market, they’ve trained on their own. And all of a sudden, two weeks out from the season, there’s not gonna be a team, here is a three months of severance.” “What happens to the cost of breaking your lease? What happens to foreign players who might have visas? What happens in any of these situations?” “What are the opportunities for employment on the other side of it given the timing? Who’s carrying the risk? That’s a system that’s not working for anyone.” It will be interesting to see if both parties can find an agreement before Friday, when the USL Championship season is supposed to kick off. [via United Soccer Lounge with Riley James on GOLZ TV] “USL is completely unique in professional sports that you have a privately held company that owns the league.”USL Players’ Association rejected latest CBA proposal from USL and authorized a strike.Connor Tobin, executive director of USLPA, explains the business model of USL.… pic.twitter.com/wZSoIz7xo2— GOLZ (@golz_tv) March 4, 2026
REPORT: On Wednesday, the USL emailed all Championship players with information on procedures for crossing a potential picket line and resigning their union membership, sources have confirmed to The Guardian. Details, including the attached "FAQs" pdf: REPORT: On Wednesday, the USL emailed all Championship players with information on procedures for crossing a potential picket line and resigning their union membership, sources have confirmed to The Guardian.Details, including the attached "FAQs" pdf: https://t.co/nYwMSb0sux— Jeff Rueter (@jeffrueter) March 5, 2026
Isn't there a European Football Players Association? Regarding USL Championship and Player's Union CBA Negotiations and all the shit that comes with it ...This is yet another example of the type of crap that doesn't happen in open ecosystems (pro/rel).In open ecosystems: * Players/workers are able to find their true market…— 3four3 (@3four3) March 6, 2026
It's almost as if....... they should be negotiating a tiered CBA for the proposed new USL structure........ A labor agreement is about offering certainty on both sides for a period of years into the future. What complicates things here is no one (especially not team ownership) is certain what USL-C landscape will look like as the 2nd tier of the pyramid in a few years. https://t.co/Ruy8Ol4gth— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) March 6, 2026
This guys an anti MLS troll. European players would love some of the protections that MLS players get through the CBA. We see the top players who are paid enough not to care about details but we don't often see the fate of players who don't make it at the highest level.
Even if USL had an "open market" how does this guy think players will get paid? Bad TV deals, little to no interest in USL from American audience, sponsorships deals are a joke etc. And he has the audacity to say the rest don't know better.
He's cuckoo for cocoa puffs. The guy has spent years taking dumps on the biggest client for the family business and he's shocked that the client wouldn't want to do business with them anymore...