OPINION: The Pros and Cons of USL Creating their First Division League

Some Positives, but Some Negatives in this Idea

Anytime I get a chance to talk about the world's favorite game to all of you who support it in the United States, my objective is to share the love and passion we all have for the sport. The hope and prayers that everything can unite and defend what is right and just. Either against the naysayers or those who are trying to fix something that isn't broken. Well, we just got some shocking news and it's time to discuss the issues of what can be a positive, but also a negative.

As we have just learned, the powers that be inside the United Soccer Leagues have announced they want to create their own first-division league to strengthen themselves and challenge Major League Soccer. Without a doubt there is delight and worry about this move that's going to be discussed on this topic. First, the positives are giving some cities and or some communities a chance to be considered for a top-flight league and get some much-needed spotlight shined on them. Give these clubs either being allowed to make the jump from USL Championship to this new first division league and be treated like they are the creme-de-la-creme. Right now USL has an advantage with CBS Sports and ESPN as their main broadcast partners for their two professional Leagues, as MLS is currently with their streaming TV partner in Apple TV.

Some also have been speculating that USL making this move would also bring in Promotion and Relegation to all of their leagues and make themselves stronger against MLS. This would also help future players get opportunities to enhance their careers and while we have seen certain players get scouted and transferred toward European clubs across the Atlantic, we can say that will be a fantastic moment for what can happen for their futures and the success of the USL. Everything sounds like sunshine and rainbows, a new way to battle against Major League Soccer and tell them there is a new Sheriff in town. Or maybe Little Brother telling Big Brother I'm taking over.

While that's all fine and dandy, the reality that no one wants to hear or understand is that this will be a new chapter in the history of the Soccer Warz. While some of you are thinking here I go changing my stance on no longer going against MLS due to the US Open Cup situation, that's not why I'm feeling sad and disappointed at this time. The real people who will be hurt by this are the American Soccer Community, all of us. The fans, media, pundits, players, future players, and so on have worked tirelessly to see this sport succeed in our country. How many times have we discussed, talked about, and of course yelled and screamed about how we need to implement pro/rel now or make up silly arguments to include it now and use the Open Cup as part of its application toward it?

The infighting that has been going on behind closed doors between MLS and USL has been tiresome and exhausting, but no matter what it feels like we have no clarity or common sense when it comes to this game and this situation right now has us looking like fools and we continue to be the laughing stock of the football world. There was a time when US Soccer was just a little nothing organization, to govern whatever game was being constructed on the club level or the International Level, and while there were very few achievements, there were a lot of negatives. Allowing multiple leagues on the professional level to be sanctioned in the same division is ludicrous and dumb. Just as we see the USL Women's Super League being seen as a challenge against the NWSL for the first division in Women's club soccer is just as annoying where you have USL League One, MLS Next Pro, and NISA all being third division leagues.

Now when USL First Division does come into play, who gets selected between the clubs from them and MLS on qualification toward the CONCACAF Champions Cup? Let's just say Louisville City, Birmingham Legion, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds want to get that opportunity to play against Tigres, Pumas, Cruz Azul, Club America, and so on, what would that mean for those clubs like Inter Miami, Columbus Crew, Los Angeles FC, if they lose those designated spots on the Supporters Shield table? Does anyone want to understand the confusion and the hypocrisy that is going on right now? While we would see an uptake in the number of bids given to the professional level for the US Open Cup, it's still a disservice to all of us who want to see our game and our players improve the right way.

The real culprit in all of this is the lack of governance from the US Soccer Federation which continues to allow multiple leagues to accept their designation as a first division league, a second division league, or a third division league and just let them be on their merry way. While there are still issues of bringing in Pro/Rel to American Soccer, if USL's goal is to have it within itself, then Pro/Rel will still be within a closed league regardless of it being on. At the same time we have seen many clubs in the USL being born and then dying after a certain amount of years like the San Diego Loyal, Memphis 901 FC, Northern Colorado Hailstorm, and so on as those communities have sadly lost their clubs for either financial issues, invasion from other leagues, or being forced to shutdown by the league they applied to compete in. Instead of finding ways to help the sport grow and keep these leagues and clubs strong the right way, they allow these sacrifices to happen.

We don't have a pyramid here in American Soccer, we have a Jenga puzzle. You hope and pray the one piece you pull out won't be the one that makes the entire structure fall apart because that's how it feels right now. While I'm happy to see USL create a brand new league, the truth is it's at the wrong end of the ladder. They should've created a brand new professional fourth division and allowed whichever clubs in USL League Two want to make their opportunities known to make the next level, rename it as USL League Two, and make their short-season league renamed the PDL (Premier Development League). When it comes to a possible pyramid here is where I believe it should go.

FIRST DIVISION: MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

SECOND DIVISION: USL CHAMPIONSHIP

THIRD DIVISION: USL LEAGUE ONE

FOURTH DIVISION: USL LEAGUE TWO/MLS NEXT PRO/NISA

FIFTH DIVISIONS: PDL/NPSL/THE LEAGUE FOR CLUBS

AMATEUR/SEMI-PRO: UPSL/USASA/USSSA

When it comes to promotion and relegation, we are nowhere close to having that in our leagues. There is too much work that is still difficult for us to have within our country (Listen to Kartik Krishnaiyer's interview with George Pasley). While there have been plenty of upgrades in stadium construction within MLS, USL, and so on, where are the stadium designs from clubs at NISA? How close were they to losing their sanctioning? What about the new clubs coming into the other USL Professional Leagues, what questions are there going toward the NPSL as they are losing clubs moving toward either USL League Two or now the League for Clubs? Are we in a secure position within the entire field of the American Soccer Ecosystem? Right now the only one showing stability is Major League Soccer. They have the most clarity, and while it's nice to see that, I would like to see it across the entire country. USL has some clarity as well within their three leagues, but once again there have been some questions with clubs ending operations.

This is not a "STAY IN YOUR LANE" article. This is a common sense article that I continue to have the conversation. There are too many sides finger-pointing at each other and not enough dialog to make everything feel like we are one giant community all on the same page. We can compete against each other, but at the end of the day, we have to shake hands share a beer, and work together to be whole. All US Soccer has done is sit down at one corner of the room and allow the bickering to become accusing then fighting one another and that is sad. But at the end of the day, MLS will do what MLS wants. USL will do what USL wants, and then when that idea comes to fruition and falls apart, where does USL go from here? Regardless of having either a European Model or a South American Model, what we need once again is clarity and common sense. Cooler heads must prevail, either we all walk together or together we must stay where we are. Period.

But to be honest, I believe if USL does make this move to create their first division league, it won't go well. While the Pro League Standards will still be the focal point, they will be behind the eight ball. US Soccer and MLS partnership is strong and until someone else succeeds Cindy Parlow-Cone as President or a brand new front office runs the Federation, we won't have the clarity we need to make this sport get over the hump.