The as yet-unnamed league, which USL says it intends to launch in 2027, would give the organization a circuit at each level of the men’s US Soccer system, along with the Division II USL Championship, Division III USL League One, the semi-pro USL League Two, and USL Youth leagues.
The United Soccer Leagues (USL), the organization that administers most of the lower-division leagues in the United States, will announce on Thursday that it intends to add a new league to its portfolio: One that is sanctioned as Division I, the same level as MLS.
This too would bring the league in line with national European circuits, but with another key difference: McDonough says there are no immediate plans to institute a system of promotion and relegation into the USL portfolio, which would be a first in modern US soccer history.
On the men’s side, it comprises 38 professional teams in the USL Championship and League One, with a further 128 semi-pro or amateur teams playing regionally in League Two.
Asked whether D-I status would open the possibility of USL teams competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup, McDonough said “I hope so…I don’t want us to be excluded from any opportunities if it’s good for [the clubs] and they can grow to help grow the game in this country.”.
