USL's historic promotion-relegation plan is bucking the trend of American sports

Tom Weber

• 4 Nov 2025 15:01 CST
• 6 min read

News

The United Soccer League (USL) has hired the Premier League's chief football officer Tony Scholes as it prepares to launch its new Division One league with promotion and relegation.

Earlier this year, the USL - the governing body of several American lower divisions - announced its historic plan to establish the first professional leagues in US sports with a promotion and relegation system in either 2027 or 2028.

That wasn't it, however, as the USL also announced the creation of a new first-tier league that would be on par with MLS in the footballing pyramid in 2028.

To help with the founding of the new competition and the creation of a pro-rel system, Scholes will join USL as the president of the new D1 league next summer, following the conclusion of the Premier League season.

In his current role, Scholes has helped to shape the Premier League into the most attractive and lucrative league in world football. He has overseen scheduling, transfers and refereeing, among other things.

Scholes excited for 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

The possibility of building an entirely new league from scratch and implementing pro-rel in American sports is being described as a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity by Scholes. “I am thrilled to join the USL at such an important moment for the game in America,” he said.

“Having worked in football at every level of the English system, I’ve seen the power of sport and the compelling nature of games that truly matter, week after week.

"Promotion and relegation create opportunity, consequence, and emotion that capture the imagination of players and fans alike. The chance to help bring that model to the U.S., while developing high-performing leagues and pathways for players, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“The USL has the rare chance to build something from a clean sheet - a league structure rooted in performance, sustainability, and community connection.

"I look forward to working with the league’s leadership and new and existing clubs to establish the standards and systems that will ensure the USL’s long-term success.”

USL's current structure

The appointment of a high-ranking Premier League official is proof that the USL is serious about finally implementing promotion and relegation, which is something that has been talked about for years but always seemed like a far-fetched promise.

Unlike many of the organisations that have come and gone in the fragmented American soccer landscape, USL has managed to build a reasonably healthy ecosystem that does not simply encompass just one league.

Although USL has been around for decades, the foundation for the implementation of pro-rel has only been laid over the past ten or so years, in which the league has rapidly grown commercially but also in terms of actual size.

In 2019, USL underwent a major restructuring by copying the layout of the English Football League. The second-tier USL Pro became the USL Championship, a completely new third division, USL League One, was launched and the developmental, regional PDL became USL League Two.

League Two is still primarily a 'pre-professional' league, primarily for college players to showcase their skills during a brief summer season. It is the only USL men's league that will not be included in the promotion-relegation system.

In 2024, USL launched a fully professional women's league, the Super League, which received Division One sanctioning from US Soccer, effectively putting it on par with the NWSL. The slightly older W-League is the women's counterpart to USL League Two.

Currently, USL operates a closed system like MLS. Franchises can only join its leagues through expansion. Expansion fees have risen significantly in recent years, but they are not comparable to the sums required to take part in MLS.

In 2023, San Diego FC's ownership had to pay $500 million to enter MLS. That same year, USL charged ownership groups a comparatively trifling $20m to enter the Championship and $5m for a spot in League One.

Previously, there was quite close cooperation between USL and MLS. An affiliation agreement was signed in 2013 that allowed MLS franchises to effectively use USL as a developmental league for young players.

Some MLS clubs partnered with existing teams, while others created reserve sides. US international Tyler Adams achieved his big breakthrough by impressing for the New York Red Bulls II in USL.

However, USL's expansion in 2019 saw it increasingly assert its independence, and the last remnants of the MLS partnership era have either been sold to new ownership (Loudon United - formerly affiliated with DC United) or folded (Rio Grande Valley - formerly affiliated with the Houston Dynamo).

As the example of Rio Grande suggests, USL has been plagued by the same affliction as any American soccer league: owners getting cold feet when they realise that football isn't profitable. Plenty of clubs have come and gone over the years.

Memphis 901 FC, part-owned by Tim Howard, is a high-profile recent example. The franchise folded after the 2024 season because of an inability to fund the construction of a soccer-specific stadium. In League One, Central Valley Fuego and the Northern Colorado Hailstorm departed after the 2024 season, the latter filing for bankruptcy.

Clearly, there is still work to be done to ensure a smooth implementation of USL's grand plans, but the future does look promising.

USL's promotion-relegation plan

The USL Championship currently has 24 teams, split into an Eastern and Western Conference. League One has 14 teams. President Paul McDonough has told The Athletic that more than 20 applications have been received for the new D1 league.

However, USL initially plans to launch it in 2028 with 14 teams. Promotion and relegation could already come into effect in the Championship and League One in 2027, but this is not set in stone yet.

Investors, including some from overseas, have shown an interest in launching expansion teams for the new top flight. It is too early to say which clubs will compete in the inaugural season and whether entry will be decided on sporting merit or economic muscle.

In addition to Tony Scholes, USL has partnered with investment firm BellTower Partners, whose CEO Kewsong Lee is now USL's vice chair of the board, to prepare the ground for the upcoming changes.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds, one of the best-supported teams across USL's various leagues, have almost certainly applied for the new D1. Earlier this year, the franchise announced plans to expand Highmark Stadium to meet D1 requirements.

Detroit City, Miami FC and Sacramento Republic have unveiled plans to build soccer-specific stadiums that also meet D1 requirements. In the case of Sacramento, their new stadium will initially have a capacity of 12,000, but it can be expanded to the D1 minimum of 15,000.

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