 United Soccer League wordmark | |
| Organizing body | United Soccer League |
|---|---|
| First season | 2028(proposed) |
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of clubs | 12(proposed) |
| Level onpyramid | Division 1(proposed) |
| Relegation to | USL Championship |
| Domestic cup | U.S. Open Cup |
| League cup | USL Cup |
| International cup | CONCACAF Champions Cup |
USL Premier is a proposed professional men'ssoccer league in the highest level of theUnited States league system, alongsideMajor League Soccer. Organized by theUnited Soccer League (USL), it would supersede theUSL Championship as its premier league for men, and would employ apromotion and relegation system with the Championship. Its inaugural season would commence by 2028.
The USL announced its intent to establish a new Division 1 league via apress release published in February 2025. USL clubs were informed of the decision the day prior.[1][2][3] Before making their announcement, the USL waited for the outcome ofN. Am. Soccer League, LLC v. U.S. Soccer Fed'n, Inc. in theUnited States District Court, E.D.N.Y., which ultimately ruled thatU.S. Soccer'sleague system was legal and did not breakantitrust laws.[4] The USL aims to commence play in USL Premier in the 2028 season.[5][6]
USL Premier would play a spring-to-fall schedule, and its teams would sign players viatransfers andfree agency; acollege draft would not be used, comparable to most association football leagues outside of the United States.[7] A system ofpromotion and relegation would be implemented, in which the worst-performing teams in the Premier would be replaced by the best-performing teams in theUSL Championship at the end of each season.[8][9][10]
USL Premier will be led by Tony Scholes, the EnglishPremier League'sdirector of football, as itspresident.[11][12]
U.S. Soccer's Professional League Standards stipulate that a league must have a minimum of twelve teams to qualify for Division 1 sanctioning, and fourteen teams by its third season. The league must have teams situated in theEastern,Central, andPacific time zones, and at least three quarters of the teams must be based inmetropolitan areas with a population of 1 million or more.[2][13][14] All clubs must play in a venue with a capacity of 15,000 or more, and have an ownership group with a combinednet worth ofUS$70 million. An individual owner with a net worth of US$40 million must also have a 35% or greater stake in the club.[13][14]
Louisville City FC,North Carolina FC, andPittsburgh Riverhounds SC have applied to join.[15][16][17] An upgrade ofHighmark Stadium to meet the stadium capacity requirement was put forward as the centerpiece of the Riverhounds' bid.[18] North Carolina FC ownerSteve Malik said his team has specific sites for a new stadium under consideration, as the team's current stadium atWakeMed Soccer Park does not meet the capacity requirement.[19]Detroit City FC andSacramento Republic FC have also initiated stadium projects with an intent to meet the capacity requirement.[20][21][22]Birmingham Legion FC,Miami FC, andOakland Roots SC currently meet both the market population and capacity requirements,[3] while Louisville City meet the capacity requirement.[15] The USL are also open to applications from clubs outside of its system.[7]
Sporting Club Jacksonville, also known as Sporting JAX, announced the submission of an application to join USL Premier at the introductory press conference for their men's head coach,Liam Fox.[23]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville City FC | Louisville, Kentucky | Lynn Family Stadium | 15,304 | [15] |
| North Carolina FC | Raleigh, North Carolina | TBD | TBD | [16][19][24] |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Highmark Stadium | 15,000(planned) | [17][18] |
| Sporting Club Jacksonville | Jacksonville, Florida | Hodges Stadium | 12,000 | [23] |
McDonough said the USL waited for the trial to conclude before moving forward with its plans.
Tony Scholes, chief football officer of the Premier League, will be leaving to join the USL as president of its new first-division men's league...
A representative from Soccer Holdings said the club recently sent in its formal application for a position in USL Division One. [...] Lynn Family Stadium (which can seat up to upwards of 15,000 spectators, if need be).
We've currently completed our Division One application,
...he was increasing capacity from 5,500 to 15,000 to qualify the Riverhounds for the United Soccer League's new Division One, which will launch in 2028.
The new Division One league requires clubs to have a stadium with a minimum capacity of 15,000 seats. WakeMed Soccer Park's official capacity is 10,000. He confirmed there are specific sites under consideration but declined to name them.
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