The USL votes to introduce promotion and relegation alongside pending Division One league, with a targeted 2028 start date
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USL plans to introduce promotion and relegationSystem tied to advent of recently announced Division 1 leagueWould mimic model ubiquitous in Euopean soccerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The USL will introduce a promotion-relegation model that mimics European soccer, with league owners voting via supermajority to approve the model, the league announced Wednesday morning.
The historic motion comes a month after the USL announced plans to start a Division One league that will be on the same level as Major League Soccer – although the league insists that it is not a direct competitor to the more-established setup.
The USL will become the first professional sports league in the U.S. to adopt the global model, creating an interconnected three-tiered men’s professional soccer system in which teams earn promotion to a higher division or face relegation to a lower division based on their performance during the season.
The vote was not unanimous.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Promotion-relegation has long been a fixture within the American soccer dialogue. There was talk of implementing a system as early as 2023, but fears about financial hardships to do with being sent down a division delayed discussions.
Those concerns have now been quelled, it seems, with pro-rel to come concurrently with a three tiered system. The league said that the USL’s professional men’s soccer structure will consist of three divisions:
USL Division One (newly launched), USL Championship (Division Two) and USL League One (Division Three).
Teams will earn promotion or face relegation based on their season performance, "ensuring a dynamic and competitive landscape where ambition is rewarded."
WHAT PAUL MCDONOUGH SAID
Paul McDonough, president and chief soccer officer of the USL outlined the reasons for a change in system
"Promotion and relegation transforms the competitive landscape of American soccer," he said. “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.”
USLWHAT NEXT FOR THE USL?
The league will operate under the same system for the next few years, but a significant change is around the corner. There is yet to be a confirmed year for the advent of the Division One league, but a 2028 target date has been set.