USL to adopt promotion-relegation in historic 1st for U.S. soccer

United Soccer League (USL) membership homeowners voted on Wednesday for a promotion and relegation system, marking the primary time the European-style system can be applied in the US.

Final month, USL confirmed plans to launch a Division One males’s skilled league in 2027 to rival Main League Soccer inside the sanctioning requirements of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

USL mentioned that league would function utterly individually from MLS, regardless of working below the identical sanctioning by U.S. Soccer as an expert soccer league. This new league would give the USL a three-tiered professional system that includes the Division One, plus a second-division known as the USL Championship and third-division USL League One.

“A new chapter in American soccer begins. The decision by our owners to approve and move forward with this bold direction is a testament to their commitment to the long-term growth of soccer in the United States,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.

“This is a significant milestone for the USL and highlights our shared vision with our team ownership to build a league that not only provides top-tier competition but also champions community engagement. Now, just as it is in the global game, more communities in America can aspire to compete at the highest level of soccer. It’s time.”

USL launched in 1986 and has mentioned it goals to foster a youth-to-professional pathway for each women and men below one system throughout communities nationwide.

The group beforehand launched a ladies’s pathway that features the top-tier USL Tremendous League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the nation’s main pre-professional ladies’s league, in accordance with a information launch from USL.

Promotion and relegation is the mannequin utilized by soccer leagues in practically each nation all through the world, together with England, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina, however the concept has been stored at arm’s size by MLS commissioner Don Garber.

On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer mentioned it could welcome the USL’s change.

“The continued investment into the game reflects the strength of the United States as a soccer country, which will only accelerate as we build toward hosting the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and bid for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. We welcome innovation and growth to the landscape of American soccer, and we look forward to learning more,” U.S. Soccer mentioned in an announcement.

The USL can be the primary main sports activities league to make use of promotion and relegation in the US.

“Promotion and relegation transforms the competitive landscape of American soccer,” USL president Paul McDonough mentioned. “With the 2026 World Cup and other major international events approaching, we have a unique opportunity to build on that momentum and create a sustainable future for the sport in the U.S. Fans and stakeholders have been clear — they want something different. They’re drawn to the intensity of high-stakes competition, where more matches have real consequences — just like we see in European leagues. This shift challenges the status quo and brings a level of excitement and relevance that can elevate the game across the country.”

Info from Jeff Carlisle was used on this report.