Since 1996, Major League Soccer (MLS), has been the premier soccer league in the U.S. There has been little success for upcoming stars, nor has it been an option for players entering their prime. The MLS has the reputation of a “retirement league” for Europe’s elite players that wish to still earn millions.
On Jan. 27, plans for United Soccer League (USL) promotion and relegation (pro-rel) were confirmed for the 2028 season and beyond. This means the USL will be the first in the U.S. that will use the same domestic league system as the rest of the world.
This change is what American fans have been crying out for for years. A game in the bottom tier can be just as entertaining and important for a club’s livelihood as a match in the top tier, if not more.
The pro-rel system proposed would add USL Premier above the USL Championship, making the four leagues mirror the English Football Pyramid. This is no coincidence, as the USL hired Tony Scholes, the chief football officer at the Premier League, to oversee this process.
Here’s how pro-rel works: The initial phase would have 12-14 teams in each of the leagues, having the top two go up, and the bottom two go down. Once enough expansion teams have been added, each league will house 20 teams, with the top three going up, and the bottom three going down at the end of each season.
When an argument is made for U.S. soccer, the biggest obstacle it faces is the MLS not having pro-rel. This leads to many fans like myself supporting teams in England like Arsenal or Manchester. Even though the USL isn’t as large as the MLS, having pro-rel in the coming years does give it an edge over the MLS in the future.
Younger fans may prefer the pro-rel system to MLS, and seeing the community many of the USL teams create, they will be more incentivized to support a USL team in their city than an MLS team, or even a team in Europe.
The change to the system is expected to create higher stakes for teams, improve player development, deepen fan engagement, as well as international matches for certain premier teams. The change doesn’t directly affect the MLS, but it does create more competition in the future and forces their hand.
The success of the new system doesn’t seem to hinge on the USL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). On Dec. 31, the 2021 CBA expired, meaning the USL Players Association (USPLA) and the owners are at crossroads.
Even though the USL Championship and League One are professional leagues, the league minimum for League One players is $2,000 to $2,200 per month. These contracts aren’t even full year, rather 10-month contracts leaving many players to pick up jobs on the side to make ends meet.
In an ESPN article, players are seeking fully provided healthcare, adequate training facilities and better pay making the league minimum a little more than $40,000. Players also wish to increase the revenue share for their image and likeness. The old CBA allowed the players association $25,000. Now the USLPA wants an increase to $600,000 which is on par with the PWHL.
If the USL wishes to be taken seriously in the future, it starts with attracting good talent. Paying players that little does not accomplish that in any way, and even if USL executives don’t want to dig themselves a hole financially, it’s best to pay the players what they are worth.
If negotiations and expansions go well, the USL does have a shot at becoming the premier soccer league in the United States. It’s unlikely they financially surpass the MLS, however the USL gives a greater sense of community and genuine soccer to those interested.
It’s clear that many fans already prefer the USL to the MLS, and the pro-rel era in the U.S. has already begun. Now it’s in the hands of the players and executives of the league to make this system work and do more for U.S. soccer than what the MLS has in 30 years.
