The New USL

Part II of our series on revamping USL

In the last article, I suggested that the USL should become the new agency of professional US soccer. I also explained how switching to a licensing model would work. This time, I’d like to talk about how the USL could implement pro/rel.

Though I believe the USL is on the right path of creating a second Division One league, I don’t believe a new national league can work in the long term. Both MLS and USL recognized the problem of dealing with the size of the US. This is why, like every other US major sports league, they established Eastern and Western conferences.

MLS and USL understood that regionalizing the majority of the games would drive up interest and help build natural rivalries. Fan engagement on cross-country matches also tends to be low. This has been a complaint from owners, players, and fans. Though both MLS and USL like to sell the fact they have a national footprint, I’m not sure that is so important.

We now live in a digital world and soccer thrives when it is more community focused. We can watch games around the world. So it’s not so important that Orange County travel to Miami only because they’re in the same league. Especially when the conference games mean more.

Based on that, I’d suggest that two separate pyramids be established, an Eastern one and Western one. I’m sure people would be against this idea as they’ll feel that a single national pyramid is necessary. But remember, if USL establishes a new Division One league, there would be two competing national leagues. Splitting the country in half with separate pyramids means the two pyramids don’t compete and can easily coexist.

Some benefits of having two pyramids means reduced travel, easier established regional rivalries, and increased media opportunities. This removes the need for competing leagues to enter a rival’s market. Two pyramids also fixes the issues surrounding regionalization. If there was one national pyramid, theoretically, Division One could consist of clubs that are all on one coast.

If all the clubs were on the West Coast, it would fall apart. East Coast TV viewership drops when it comes to West Coast matches. Having the entire Division One on the West Coast would not end well. Splitting the country in half avoids this situation altogether.

As far as each pyramid’s structure, I’d set it up like this:

USL Premier E/W:

16 clubs

14th place, promotion playoffs

15th & 16th relegated

USL Championship E/W:

16 clubs

1st & 2nd promoted

3rd-5th, promotion playoffs

13th-16th relegated

USL One E/W:

32 clubs (North & South have 16 each)

1st place promoted

2nd-5th, promotion playoffs

14th, promotion playoffs

15th & 16th, relegated

USL Two E/W:

32 clubs (North & South have 16 each)

1st & 2nd promoted

3rd - 5th, promotion playoffs

13th-16th, relegated

Each pyramid would have a total of 96 professional clubs for a total of 192 professional clubs across both pyramids. By splitting USL One and USL Two into North and South regions, USL would be able to have even smaller regions for the lower divisions. Below USL Two, I’d suggest splitting each of the four regions into east/west halves to have a total of eight regions. After that, it could drop down to state level.

This would have the added effect of making the US Open Cup more relevant as it would provide a national competition that includes both pyramids. It would also be easier to regionalize the earlier rounds and help increase the prestige of the Cup.

Splitting the country into two pyramids opens the opportunities for more revenue. USL has extensive experience in securing broadcast rights. This would give them the opportunity to sell the rights for two regional top divisions instead of one national division. Partnering with companies such as CBS for one pyramid and NBC for the other, would still give both leagues national exposure through streaming.

Having six divisions in each pyramid gives them the opportunity to obtain twelve deals. However, something the USL needs to be wary of is creating another Premier League. Because of their media deal, the Premier League makes more than $3 billion more than the EFL Championship. As time goes on, this gap gets bigger. This is why parachute payments were introduced so that relegated clubs could soften the financial blow.

This gap in broadcast revenue also destroyed parity in English football. Since the Premier League separated from the EFL in 1992, only 13 clubs have finished in the top 3. In the previous 32 years (1960-1992), 20 different clubs finished in the top 3. Getting this right in the beginning is important as the broadcast revenue is still pretty low in US soccer when compared to other leagues.

With that in mind, I’d suggest that each pyramid have their own “revenue bucket” where the revenue from all six divisions is shared. Here is my proposed split:

USL Premier E/W: 40%

USL Championship E/W: 20%

USL One E/W: 24% (12% each for North & South)

USL Two E/W: 16% (8% each for North & South)

This ensures that the top division gets the biggest share and provides incentive for low division clubs to strive for promotion. It also scales nicely as the revenue grows and avoids the disparity seen in the top European leagues. The USL could also take 1% of the total revenue for administrative purposes. This gives them the incentive to seek the best deals.

Transparency is key with this proposal as the USL already has a lawsuit against them alleging multiple instances of financial “wrongful conduct”. While this proposal is pretty radical to our current sports leagues, I believe that something different is needed for soccer to become successful. The current methods and “American” way aren’t really working when applied to soccer. So let’s take what is already working elsewhere and tweak it to our needs.

George Pasley is the author of A Fan's Dream: The Evolution of Soccer in the US to Promotion & Relegation