I don’t think I share the same philosophy as Peter Witt, because I’m not in favor of an open system with multiple leagues operating at the same level. For example, I’m against proposals like a new 32-club Division 3 league, and I’m also against parallel top-tier attempts like NISA or similar initiatives. In my view, MLS and USL should remain the main professional league operators at different levels, but with more cooperation—such as a shared senior cup and integrated development and youth competitions. Below that, other operators should focus on building a unified national structure at tiers 5–6 with full, proper seasons rather than fragmented or short formats. That last point is fundamental: without clearer guidance and stronger coordination from USSF and USASA, allowing multiple overlapping leagues at those levels will keep the base unstable and undefined. If the US truly wants to raise its level and compete more consistently with Europe, that structural foundation has also to be stabilized. My vision can be summarized as follow: US Men's (Senior) Soccer Pyramid July-May calendar year Core principle: One national league per tier. Geographic structure (regions/conferences/divisions) are internal subdivisions, not separate leagues. Tier 1 – Major League Soccer (Professional) 1 national league, 2 conferences, 30-36 teams, regular season+playoffs, top competitive level _______________ Note: promotion and relegation between USL PL and USL Championship Tier 2 – USL Premier League (Professional) 1 national league, likely without conferences and playoff, split season, 12 teams Tier 3 – USL Championship (Professional) 1 national league, 2 conferences, 24 clubs, split season, without playoffs ____________ Tier 4 – USL League One (Professional / Semi-pro bridge) 1 national league, 4 regions, 4x12-16clubs=48-64 clubs, 12-16 per region, regular regional season + national playoff (likely a Final 4 style competition) Non-Professional National Structure Note: promotion and relegation between tier 5 and tier 6 leagues. March-November calendar year Not development leagues (part of a separated development system) or short seasons leagues (lower tiers). Tier 5 – National League 1 1 national league, 4 regions, each region with 2 conferences, 4×2×8 clubs=64 clubs Regular phase (conference tournament) -> regional phase -> national phase (Final 4) Could have Spring and Fall tournaments (14 matches+14 matches + playoffs at the end of the season (4-6 matches) Tier 6 – National League 2 1 national league, 4 regions with 2 conferences each and each conference with 2 divisions (localized competition blocks). Regular season (division) -> Conference Phase -> Regional Phase -> National Phase (Final 4) Minimum: 4×2×2×8=128 clubs Tier 7+ – Regional Football Ecosystem Interstate leagues, Regional leagues, Metropolitan leagues
USSF would have to initiate the framework by creating a formal working group including MLS, USL, USASA, and other stakeholders to design a unified national system across senior, development, and youth levels. The objective would be to define a coherent pyramid structure and align economic and sporting incentives so that all levels operate within a single ecosystem rather than league-centric parallel systems. A potential first step in this reformist plan could be the development system. MLS and USL reserve or U23 teams could compete in a shared national development league, creating a controlled environment to test deeper cooperation between league operators. Initially, this common development league would not replace existing structures such as MLS Next Pro or USL League Two. Instead, those competitions could be positioned below it within the development pyramid, with promotion and relegation pathways introduced into the new shared league and creating a us "open development" cup. If successful, this could then expand downward with additional tiers, replacing individual legacy development leagues. Below the national professional development layer (likely two tiers), a national non-professional pyramid should exist, also structured into a limited number of tiers (likely two), with one clearly defined league per tier. These national leagues must have full season calendars. Below that point, the system would transition into regional logic, where leagues are no longer strictly organized within a single national pyramid. At that stage, there would be no formally defined Tier 5 and below in the national hierarchy. Instead, multiple regional leagues would operate in a more open structure, could play shorter seasons, feeding into the national system, without a rigid unified tier designation. If proved successful this operational implementation could be repeated in the youth system.
One interesting item from this article about the Whitecaps situation is that Indianapolis, Sacramento, Phoenix and Las Vegas were all mentioned as potential landing spots for the Caps should they not find an in-market solution. Now, all four of these cities currently have USL Championship teams, and have all been mentioned as potential places for USL Premier teams..... So, IF promotion/relegation is truly the differentiator that some claim it to be, why are these cities pursuing MLS??? Why are potential ownership groups pursuing MLS and not USL? A special committee of MLS owners met to discuss future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, including possibility of relocation, sources tell @PaulTenorio & ILas Vegas the chief option discussedMLS has had discussions w/ a group looking to bring a team to LVhttps://t.co/ylEBJxJiL4— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) April 27, 2026
Pro/rel works could work as a tool to strengthen lower divisions by driving fan interest, ecinomic value, and increase competitiveness. But still should be done in a controlled system (within USL likely between their two main tiers/divisions). Because the biggest reason teams will always prefer joining MLS instead of USL is simple: clubs always want to be in the biggest and most stable league. One smart approach would be for USL not to charge an expansion fee for the proposed top-tier “USL Premier League” at the start. Instead, the first season could include clubs that already meet specific requirements such as stadium standards, financial stability, market size, and fan support. After the system is established, participating in the top division becomes a valuable sporting and financial reward rather than something clubs simply buy into. With this structure, USL could eventually grow into a 36-team system within their two main pro divisions (matching MLS in geographic coverage), including a 12-team Premier League and a 24-team Championship. That would create meaningful competition while still keeping the pyramid manageable and financially controlled. Another important point is the role of Canadian clubs. Canadian MLS teams could eventually move fully into the Canadian Premier League and sell their MLS rights. Maybe thisvwhitecaps crisis could start this process. This would allow MLS to become a completely domestic U.S. league, which could strengthen its identity and simplify league operations. At the same time, if MLS expands to 36 clubs (mantain 34-matches regular season), it could still cover virtually every major American market on its own.
It originally solved the problem of players jumping from the Football League to the Alliance League and back to avoid transfer fees.
I mean, there are obvious reasons: Sacramento: Was offered MLS team, later rescinded. Indianapolis: Mayor explicitly wanted MLS team after backing out of USL stadium deal Las Vegas: Current USL team being kicked out of old, decrepit ballpark, plus it's been a magnet for leagues ever since the Golden Knights joined and gambling was no longer taboo Phoenix: City has tried for ages to get a MLS team. It doesn't help that, while MLS has its own can of worms, the USL is more of a "three kids in a trenchcoat" kind of league. A lot of the teams tend to have connections into construction or real estate firms and want to get deals on land *before* they put the team in place, or if there's already a team, they want to get a stadium in now. The difference is that while most MLS owners are stupid rich but clearly don't want to spend the money because that's just how capitalism works, USL owners are barely rich, so they have to sweet talk their communities into how soccer is truly the way of the future
The USL has a new team in Brooklyn FC, playing out of the Brooklyn Cyclones ballpark. They can't draw flies. The USL also finally revived the New York Cosmos IP. That team can't draw flies, either. Both are in the largest metropolitan area in the country, where there's two MLS teams that have healthy support and, in theory, could at least have one more based on how the greater London area has multiple clubs at various levels. One could counterargue this by insisting it takes time to grow, but how do you grow when you start at 1000 people and dwindle from that?
I understand that stadiums, sports infrastructure, and — most importantly — ownership groups willing to invest are major factors when deciding where to expand. However, USL still does not seem to have a fully coherent long-term structure across its professional pyramid. Some clubs currently in the USL Championship — such as Ozark, Loudoun, Reno, Santa Barbara, or Monterey — feel closer to what would normally be considered Division 3 level rather than true second-division clubs in terms of market scale, infrastructure, and overall project ambition. That is why I think the idea of creating a separate “Premier League” within USL could actually make sense, specially without seeking official Division 1 sanctioning in the U.S. soccer pyramid.
That sorta makes sense. Create a 3 tier system without worrying about divisional status. That way you don't have to worry about not promoting teams because they don't meet specific divisional requirements.
It's not all nonsense. Pro/Rel is more than just a way to solve the problem of to many clubs for one level. Yes it does address that but adds a lot more. Example, this years prem has been more fun because there's been a genuine relegation battle. Another example the NBA is having major issues with tanking. Not really an issue in pro/rel leagues. I am not saying pro/rel solves every problem and leagues without pro/rel aren't legit (I am a ST holder for SDFC FFS) but there is more to it than just a way a way to organize to many teams for a certain level. Although it does do that in a fairer and I feel more beneficial way.
Updated our USL CBA story with some details:- Runs through 2030 with trigger for 2031- 12 month contracts, up from 10- $42,000 minimum compensation (salary + housing)- All players get health insurance- New group licensing & prize moneyhttps://t.co/MoE4L643JR— Margaret Fleming (@mgfleming12) May 1, 2026
Interesting: USL soccer players got a bump in pay at the D2 level and required health insurance to be covered by all teams. The upcoming D1 USL Premier League minimum salary will be set at $67k, same as women’s top pro league NWSL. I think USL-P will have similar💰 structure to NWSL than MLS. https://t.co/iwI2lowUo2— theImperfecttl (@imperfecttl) May 2, 2026
More CBA nuggets: After 609 days of negotiations and 60+ bargaining sessions, USL and USLPA came to an agreement for new CBA.Players in USL Championship will have minimum salary of $42,000 and once USL Premier starts, it will be $67,000 there.John Morissey explains the biggest win for players.… pic.twitter.com/dLqTcsucDi— GOLZ (@golz_tv) May 5, 2026
United Soccer League Names Paul McDonough President and CEO https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1360943 USL's Alec Papadakis moves out of CEO job and into role as co-chair of board.Paul McDonough has been promoted to president and CEO. On leadership change at USL as they look toward ambitious future.https://t.co/Eriukvg40A— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) May 11, 2026 “We’ve announced a new structure, and we’re announcing new stadiums and new owners, (the goal is to) carry the momentum out of the World Cup and bring soccer to more communities throughout the country,” McDonough said. “That’s the goal. We’ve always said that to grow soccer, you need success in Portland, Maine, and Albuquerque and Boise, right? Not just the traditional top 30 markets in the country.” So.... USL has LESS than 2 years to get USL Premier off of the ground. No teams announced. No stadiums built/upgraded yet. First Bell Towers pushed out the younger Papadakis. Now the elder Papadakis is moving to a Co-chair of the board, the other co-chair is the head of Bell Towers. Private Equity was sold on an idea, likely by the son. Bell Towers obviously didn't see a quick enough path forward to getting an ROI on their investment. USL Buffalo.... no stadium, still TBD. USL Milwaukee..... no stadium, still TBD. Sacramento Republic is supposed to be one of the pillars of USL. They're not building a $450M stadium to play in USL Premier. Let's just be honest about that. North Carolina is on "hiatus." South Georgia has closed up their professional teams. What's the future hold for the Las Vegas Lights? Paul McDonough now has to get the monorail built. Anything less than a smashing success will likely mean an end to USL as a business entity. That quote from Paul says a lot. USL is banking on the World Cup driving the interest to grow USL. USL's ambitions aren't the issue. What their aspiring to do can work. The problem is the speed at which they are attempting to pull this off at. They've committed to this launching in 2028. The rubber is quickly approaching the road on this. There's not going to be a merger with MLS either. That won't be necessary as the well run clubs will just choose to join MLS' ecosystem instead. That will solve the problem of not having a level between MLS NeXT Pro and MLS.
That seems like catastrophizing? USL isn't a ramshackle outfit anymore, it has no real competition (no one GAF about MLS NEXT PRO, let's be honest) and it's not likely anyone's going to sink the money necessary into creating another league again. USL Pro was ramshackle right after the big split, and then lost three Caribbean teams in the first few weeks. Didn't kill them. Their dalliance with indoor soccer was bad. Didn't kill them. But overall, NuRock has probably made fewer bad decisions in the last 17 years than were made in all the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s in lower-level soccer. Now, could private equity be the death of them, the way private equity kills things it touches? Sure. But that wouldn't be because their latest gambit wasn't "a smashing success" (whatever that means). World Cups have grown interest in the game in this country. Incrementally, and as we look back with 32 years of distance from USA '94 we can see it. But it's harder to see from the ground. It won't be a quantum leap, none of these things were quantum leaps. They were all blocks built upon the previous ones. That's one problem. But, let's be honest, moving their very best organizations from USL-C to USL-P and maybe adding a couple more is a way different issue than starting MLS with 10 clubs from a sheet of paper. Like I said, they have not made a lot of bad moves over time. Just because we don't see the progress (and I have no connections there anymore to give me any inside info) does not mean they're not making progress. As for Papadakis the elder, the dude's 78. There was going to be a transition at some point soon anyway.
That's part of the uncertainty in all of this. Papadakis is in it to build the game. He loves the game. The private equity firm has already pushed his son out. Once Papadakis retires or is bought out completely by Bell Towers the impetus behind the league changes. It goes from growing the game out of love for the game, to growing it simply to maximize an ROI to sell to either another PE Firm or another entity. Who knows, maybe Paramount and ESPN buy a stake in the league? To me, a lot of this just seems very rushed, and I keep going back to the Simpson's Monorail analogy.
Is there actual evidence it's worth doing that, though? Yeah, USL is more valuable now, but its top team isn't even drawing 10k a game. Yeah, they've got some games on CBS and they have an audience, but it's not 2001 NASCAR. They are far more stable than, say, the A-League of 1999, but they still have teams go belly-up, and their women's D1 league can't draw a crowd outside of Jacksonville. Is pro/rel going to be the magic elixir that makes Paramount and ESPN take notice? Then we're back to the debate we've been having with the prawns forever: why is a system that half the time is about determining who sucks less so frigging dramatic that it changes the dynamic? (BTW, yes, Alec loves the game, but he's not exactly Thoreau over here on Walden Pond. He and Hoskins took a risk in 2009 and have built a property that is far more valuable than it was when they acquired it. If he wants to cash out at 78 or 79 or 80, how is he different from anyone else? Like you or I wouldn't do that?) And what you have described above is literally what has been happening in every corner of the game for the last 30 plus years.
Hmmmmm...... could Kartik be referring to USL investors? THIS is the big one - this tournament was oversold to investors who have put money in the professional game in this country and have taken a bath so far & held out based on a “boom” post WC… so as a result CLUBS WILL FOLD or SELF-RELEGATE in the next 24 months. Guaranteed https://t.co/XMkqJEI8ls— Kartik Krishnaiyer (@kkfla737) May 18, 2026
I think that people are a bit jaded at the moment. If it's a good World Cup then everything that went before might be forgotten and domestic leagues may indeed be invigorated but there are going to be an awful lot of games.
Unfortunately, the political climate over the last year and a half has contaminated the World Cup in a way that I think will genuinely cancel out the positive impact that would otherwise be expected for soccer in the U.S (maybe the impact could be negstive due to overinvestment). after the tournament. Personally, I’m even less enthusiastic about this one than I was about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The last World Cup I was particularly enthused about was probably France 98. But that's just an age thing.