The United Soccer League (USL) announced this week that Paul McDonough has been named President and Chief Executive Officer as the league adopts a new management structure as it looks to deliver on its ambitious plans. McDonough will lead the league’s strategy, operations, and execution while long standing CEO Alec Papadakis will move to Co-Chair of the USL Board, and investor Kewsong Lee, CEO of BellTower, will be elevated from Vice Chair to Co-Chair.
Papadakis’ move out of the leading hands-on role, follows the departure of his son Justin from the role of Deputy CEO and Head of Real Estate and comes ahead of the impending arrival of Tony Scholes from the Premier League. And while it is interesting to speculate on the dynamics that led to these changes, after years of domination of the league by the Papadakis family, what really matters for those in the business is what this means for the league's plans now?
In short, it's now time for USL to start delivering.
Scholes, who has been the Director of Football for the EPL, will take on a new role as President of USL Premier - the proposed D1 division which the league hopes will be the top tier of a pyramid featuring promotion and relegation. McDonough and Scholes are expecting to work in tandem to accelerate the growth and expansion plans that the league announced over a year ago. And that acceleration and delivery is badly needed because, for all the buzz generated by the USL's adoption in principle of pro/rel and their target of creating a new top flight league, there is very little to show for the past year in concrete terms.
The idea outlined by McDonough is that USL Premier should be a mix of existing USL Championship clubs with upscaled and upgraded facilities and completely new expansion clubs in fresh markets suitable for a D1 club. So far there has been no sign of such new clubs while the upgrading process for Championship clubs has been patchy. Some clubs, like Detroit City and Sacramento Republic, have announced the kind of stadium plans that look and sound D1. Detroit's plan is for a new 15,000 venue while work is underway in Sacramento on a 20,000 stadium. We need to hear more of plans such as Oklahoma City's 10,000 venue, which could be a model for future expansions.
USL needs several more such projects (even if they hope that US Soccer will accept smaller sized venues as acceptable for D1). But to have a viable and functioning USL Premier they also need completely new clubs in new markets. The plan is to launch USL Premier in 2028 so progress needs to be sped up if that date is to avoid being pushed back. McDonough has previously talked about needing a dozen clubs for the opening season of the new division.
Progress is more tangible at other levels, with Fort Wayne, for example, moving from USL2 to USL 1 this year and setting up home in their brand new 9,000-seater stadium. There are plans in place for new franchises across the levels of USL - but none as yet at the Premier tier. Without underestimating the challenge that these plans present, McDonough and Scholes really need to recapture the momentum that seemed in place a year ago. The investments in USL from BellTower and Weatherford Capital are signs of seriousness but it would be good to also start hearing about investors in new clubs and stadium projects.
The recent announcement from MLS about the creation of Hometown Soccer Holdings, a joint venture with PE giant KKR, is a challenge to USL's presumed dominance of the lower division scene and offers investors a different — and for Americans — a more familiar structure.
That adds a new layer of challenge to the task facing McDonough and Scholes. While they will argue that investing in a new USL Premier club offers much more opportunity and potential, the project needs to feel more concrete and less of a lofty goal. Ultimately, that is the primary task facing USL's new leadership.
Soccerbiz bytes
From the recent Nielsen media intelligence report on American soccer:
- Overall Social Media Usage: Nearly 80% of soccer fans use social media for sports news, compared to only 62% of the general population.
-
Platform-Specific Engagement: For sports news and content, soccer fans outpace the general population on every major platform:
- YouTube: 80.1% vs. 60.1%
- Instagram: 74.4% vs. 48.3%
- Facebook: 73.3% vs. 57.4%
- X (formerly Twitter): 63.8% vs. 42.2%
- TikTok: 55.0% vs. 30.6%
Digital News Consumption: Soccer fans are more likely to turn to a variety of digital sources for sports information:
- Digital Video Platforms: 75.6% of soccer fans use these platforms (like YouTube), versus 56.5% of the general population.
- Websites (excluding social media): 70.2% of fans utilize websites, compared to 51.1% of the general population.
- Social Messaging Apps: 67.6% of fans use apps like WhatsApp or Messenger for sports news, while only 46.6% of the general population does the same.
NEWS ROUND-UP:
MCDONALD’S SECURES LANDMARK STADIUM NAMING RIGHTS WITH CHICAGO FIRE FC
Chicago Fire FC and McDonald’s have announced a historic partnership for the naming rights of the club's new $750 million privately funded stadium. Set to open in 2028 at "The 78" riverfront development, McDonald’s Park represents the first time the global fast-food giant has secured naming rights for a major professional sports stadium in the United States. The stadium will accommodate more than 22,000 fans for soccer and up to 31,000 for concerts, serving as a year-round destination featuring a flagship McDonald’s restaurant and immersive fan experiences.
At the core of the deal is a massive commitment to the Chicago Fire Foundation’s P.L.A.Y.S. program. McDonald’s will serve as the presenting partner for an initiative that aims to remove barriers to soccer by providing free equipment and programming to over 280 under-resourced Chicago Public Schools. By the time the stadium opens, the program’s footprint is expected to double, eventually reaching more than 125,000 students annually.
U.S. SOCCER INAUGURATES $250M ARTHUR M. BLANK NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER
The U.S. Soccer Federation has officially opened its first-ever permanent headquarters and training home in Fayetteville, Georgia. The $250 million Arthur M. Blank National Training Center (NTC) spans 123 acres and centralizes operations for all 27 of the federation's national teams. Historically reliant on rented facilities, the federation now owns 400,000 square feet of indoor space and 17 outdoor playing surfaces, including sand pitches for beach soccer and courts for futsal.
The facility is already proving to be a powerful commercial engine, with seven brands—including Coca-Cola, Nike, and AT&T—signed on as founding partners. U.S. Soccer projects the NTC will host 215,000 visitors annually for coaching clinics, youth tournaments, and tentpole events like the SheBelieves Summit. The site also includes 77 acres of undeveloped land, offering future potential for on-site athlete housing.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FUTURE IN BC REMAINS UNCERTAIN AMID RELOCATION RUMORS
Local meetings were held this week over the future of Vancouver Whitecaps FC in British Columbia but there is still no public sign of a local consortium willing to buy the club. Local stakeholders, including government representatives and First Nations leaders, recently held closed-door meetings with league executives to discuss ways to improve the "economics of soccer" in the city. The club is for sale, with a prominent bid emerging from a group intending to relocate the franchise to Las Vegas.
While stakeholders issued a joint statement committing to finding a local solution, the long-term economic viability of the team likely depends on the construction of a soccer-specific stadium—a project that currently lacks a clear developer or funder.
NWSL’S RACING LOUISVILLE EXPLORES PARTIAL SALE TO FUEL COMPETITIVENESS
The ownership group of Racing Louisville FC has officially begun exploring the sale of a partial stake in the team. Soccer Holdings LLC, chaired by John Neace, is seeking an equity partner to provide additional investment as NWSL valuations and spending continue to rise. While the club has stated it has no intention of relocating or giving up controlling interest, the search for capital highlights the pressure to keep pace with more aggressive investors in the league.
This move reflects a broader NWSL trend, as nearly every franchise in the league has undergone a change in ownership or governance since 2020 to navigate the rapidly evolving financial landscape of women’s professional soccer.
CONGRESSIONAL GROUP TARGETS P.E IN YOUTH SPORTS
The Let Kids Play Act introduced on May 13 aims to dismantle private equity ownership within the $40 billion youth sports industry. The bicameral bill, co-sponsored by Democratic lawmakers including Senators Chris Murphy and Cory Booker along with Representative Chris Deluzio, utilizes a "reverse-burden" system that automatically labels private equity funds as "vulture investors" 91 days after enactment unless they file a sworn certification of compliance. Once designated, these firms are required to divest their youth sports holdings within two years, with the bill's scope covering a broad range of entities including leagues, facilities, tech platforms, and the collection of children's biometric data.
The legislation specifically targets several "vulture practices" that sponsors claim have turned youth sports into a "luxury item," such as excessive 'junk fees', "stay-to-play" hotel requirements, and roll-up consolidations that stifle competition. The act allows for treble damages in private lawsuits, empowers state attorneys general to sue on behalf of residents, and voids pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Furthermore, firm executives face joint and several liability for a sports entity’s obligations, and false certifications of compliance can lead to a $1 million civil penalty and up to one year in prison.
Current political realities mean the bill is unlikely to become law quickly but the introduction of the Act certainly indicates an appetite among Democrats to tackle P.E in youth sports. (Youth Sport Business Report)
KICKBACK SOCCER MEDIA SECURES MAJOR PARTNERSHIPS AHEAD OF 2026 WORLD CUP
Kickback Soccer Media (KSM) has announced strategic partnerships with Soccer.com and the American Outlaws to create a national content platform for the 2026 World Cup. The collaboration includes the launch of "First Touch," a daily studio show that will stream on Soccer.com, as well as a dedicated USMNT preview series.
The deal allows KSM to tap into the massive audience of active players and families at Soccer.com, the world’s largest soccer retailer, while engaging the 25,000-member community of the American Outlaws. By combining independent media voices with the most influential fan and retail organizations in the country, KSM aims to establish itself as the primary destination for American soccer storytelling during the tournament summer.
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC SIGNS ‘TED LASSO’ ACTOR CRISTO FERNÁNDEZ
El Paso Locomotive FC of the USL Championship has signed actor Cristo Fernández to a professional contract. Fernández, best known for his role as Dani 'Football is Life!' Rojas in the series Ted Lasso, earned the spot after a two-month trial with the club. While the signing brings a visibility boost for the USL club, it remains to be seen what impact the 35-year-old actor will have on the field.....
SAUDI PIF NAMED OFFICIAL SUPPORTER FOR 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP
FIFA has named Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as an Official Tournament Supporter for the 2026 World Cup in North America. As part of the agreement, PIF portfolio companies—specifically Savvy Games Group and Qiddiya City—will activate across the tournament through various fan engagement initiatives.
The partnership aligns with PIF’s broader 2026–2030 strategy to invest in sports as a priority sector. With Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 World Cup, this deal deepens their involvement in the global football ecosystem and provides a significant commercial platform within the host markets of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
CHELSEA FC PARTNERS WITH ROC NATION TO ACCELERATE U.S. MARKET GROWTH
Chelsea FC has announced a strategic partnership with Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI) aimed at deepening fan engagement in the United States. The collaboration will focus on the intersection of football, music, and culture, leveraging collaborations to position the club as an aspirational lifestyle brand beyond the pitch.
By tapping into Roc Nation’s entertainment and influencer networks, Chelsea intends to build relationships with a younger generation of American supporters. The move is a significant step in the club’s ambition to accelerate commercial growth in the North American market ahead of the arrival of the 2026 World Cup.
LIONEL MESSI EXPANDS SPANISH REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO WITH $14M ACQUISITION
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, through his real estate investment trust Edificio Rostower Socimi, has purchased a shuttered shopping center in Barcelona for €11.5 million ($13.5 million). The 43,000-square-foot property, which has been closed for over 30 years, will be renovated for future rental. This acquisition adds to Messi’s substantial business portfolio, which already includes office buildings, parking garages, and a hotel brand.