Are the Chattanooga Red Wolves really worth the trouble for USL?
A relic of the 2017-19 Soccerwarz, USL as a league doesn't really need them anymore
We are well aware of why the Chattanooga Red Wolves exist. Whatever other rationale has been officially given, they are in business because USL was looking to (for lack of a better term) harass Chattanooga FC in the 2017 -2019 era, when CFC was seen as a leader in the independent soccer movement outside BOTH USL and MLS.
A lot has happened since 2018 and seems like the Red Wolves remained a minor annoyance until the recent double-embarrassment of being found liable of copyright infringement AND now not having their stadium ready for the start of the USL League 1 campaign.
But worse yet, as USL become the clear vehicle for soccer on both the men’s and women’s side outside of MLS/NWSL, the Red Wolves serve as a painful reminder of what USL has been in the past- a past that thankfully the league has largely maneuvered beyond the last few years.
Since 2017, Chattanooga FC has moved from NPSL to NPSL Members Cup to NISA to MLS Next Pro during the era where the Red Wolves have existed (and it should be noted CFC was announced as a NISA club in 2017 but didn’t join until 2020, heading on the league at that point, smartly in hindsight).
And as the Soccerwarz battle has shifted from USL v NPSL/NASL to USL v MLS, the presence of the Red Wolves seem a distant relic of the Soccerwarz phase 2 that lasted from 2016 to 2019.
I’d argue at this point CFC finding a stable platform in MLS Next Pro, like it or not makes them untouchable locally. I don’t say that with relish as obviously I think it’s in the best interests of non-MLS markets to have a thriving independent club culture OUTSIDE the MLS ecosystem, but truthfully the only thing keeping the Red Wolves partially relevant was the league messes CFC found itself in.
In fact USL’s failure to consolidate the independent clubs that were leaders of the movement in 2017-19 (Detroit City, Oakland Roots, Miami FC and New York Cosmos would be the others in addition to CFC) I believe is down to the presence of the Red Wolves.
What is the point of this club, that even if they have their own purpose-built soccer-specific stadium cannot properly manage it? Could the group operate the USL League 2 team in Dalton and the prospective Super League team on the women’s side without a men’s pro team? Probably, yes.
Could the Red Wolves have called themselves something else and not have blatantly ripped off the logo of a major college sports program. Almost certainly, yes.
I’m all for healthy competition and keeping MLS’ desire to consolidate its hold on the soccer ecosystem in this country in check, but if I’m USL right now, I’m concerned that this club is giving me one black eye after another - and simply is a reminder to those that have shifted from NASL/NPSL support to embracing USL, of a foregone time when USL appeared to be colluding on some level with MLS.
All of this having been said, at times the Red Wolves have put a compelling product on the pitch - but that doesn’t overtake all of the negativity the organization has caused and the headaches it continues to give USL.
When you do bad business. It pays negative dividends for years afterwards usually... this is a perfect example of it.
To clarify, CHI Memorial Stadium playing surface was being upgraded but delayed, presumably by supply and labor chain issues beyond the Red Wolves' control? And which in time will eventually be ironed out?
The Red Wolves also has a wealthy owner that seems committed for the long-term, an advantage that CTC doesn't have?