USL's very up and down week
The week began with a major, attention-grabbing appointment from USL with the hiring of the Premier League's Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes to be President of the new 'Division One League' which it is hoped will launch in 2028.
Scholes is an experienced executive who spent 17 years as Chief Executive of Stoke City - many of those years during the club's time in the Premier League. But it is the past three years at the helm of competition operations for the world's most commercially successful national league which ensured the announcement made so many sit up and pay attention to USL.
My sources in and around the Premier League have had only positive things to say about Scholes and the fact that someone of his stature is willing to leave such a role to join the USL adds seriousness and credibility to the goal of creating a new top-flight league to operate alongside (some would say 'in competition with') MLS. USL's goal is to have a system of promotion and relegation within their three division structure, bringing the familiar jeopardy of the game internationally into the American context for the first time.
“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," said Scholes in a press release.
Those are important words - sustainability, community connection, standards and systems - and in practical terms they are encapsulated in U.S. Soccer's Professional League Standards which stipulate that a D1 men’s league must have at least 12 teams, located across the Eastern, Central and Pacific time zones, with at least 75% of the teams playing in metropolitan markets of at least 1 million people. All stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 15,000. There are also measurable tests for financial viability, which insist that club ownership groups that demonstrate the financial capability to operate a team for five years.
Without going into a detailed analysis here - suffice to say that USL has a lot of work to do in order to meet those standards. Existing USL Championship clubs will need to upgrade and in most cases upsize their stadiums and many will need to raise funds for such work. The vast majority of USL clubs don't make a profit and don't attract crowds anywhere near the 15,000 level - so they are going to be taking a leap of faith that the change of status from D2 and introduction of pro/rel is going to massively boost interest in their clubs from fans - and attract a paying broadcast deal. On top of that, some entirely new clubs will need to be created in other markets, with new stadiums and new ownership groups. It's a big ask.
USL officials have talked confidently of reaching the standards, perhaps with the help of some flexibility from US Soccer which has so far made only positive noises about USL's plans. Hiring a top exec from the Premier League certainly adds to that upbeat mood which has led to a lot of curiousity from investors inside and outside the U.S.
But the history of USL and of American pro leagues outside of MLS, suggests some caution is necessary. This is not to pour cold water on the league's plans which, (for those of us who want to see the growth of the game in as many cities and communities as possible) are an exciting prospect. Rather it is simply prudent based on a past in which teams have come and gone with far too much regularity.
And just 24 hours after the confirmation of Scholes' appointment came the kind of news that has been all too common to lower division American soccer. North Carolina FC, currently competing in the USL Championship playoffs, announced that they were going on hiatus next season while also submitting an application to join the planned D1 league of the future.
The club will continue to run the NC Courage women's team, which competes in the NWSL and also plays at the club's 10,000 WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary used by North Carolina FC, but players from the men's team will become free agents at the end of this season as the club's owner Steve Malik turns his focus to the process of creating a D1 club.
“Right now, it’s essential that we focus our immediate resources and energy on strengthening the foundation for professional soccer in Raleigh by continuing to invest in the Courage and resetting our men’s strategy for the future. With the right infrastructure in place, Raleigh can become a world-class home for the sport for years to come," said Malik.
“To our NCFC players, staff, and fans, thank you. You have been the heart and soul of this club, and your passion, loyalty, and belief have made North Carolina FC something truly special. This is not goodbye, but a step toward building an even brighter future for the sport we all love," he added.
At a time when USL is talking growth, a contraction like this damages, at the very least, the narrative. It is a reminder of the lingering instability in American club soccer outside of MLS, as the USL Players Association noted in their statement.
“Players of North Carolina FC were informed this (Tuesday) morning: their club was voluntarily folded so the owner could focus on a new stadium and a new USL Division One application. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, NCFC players with contracts for the upcoming season are left with pink slips and just two months’ salary. There are no other protections. This systemic failure has happened again and again in the USL Championship. Over the past decade, twelve clubs have shuttered. Before the 2021 CBA, player received nothing after being told their clubs were folding; proving that players are treated as disposable while the league continues to protect owners over workers every time. We are fighting for a new fair standard: 75% of salary when clubs shut down. Players shouldn’t lose their futures because an owner changes direction."
USL itself issued a tersely worded and pointed statement: "North Carolina FC’s franchise agreement with the USL Championship concluded at the end of the 2025 season. The club will not compete in the Championship in 2026 and has formally applied to join USL’s new Division One league launching in 2028. The USL believes Raleigh has strong potential as a future Division One market if it meets the league’s professional standards, including a minimum 15,000-seat, purpose-built soccer stadium that will serve as an anchor for real estate development. We thank NCFC’s supporters and the Triangle community and look forward to advancing professional soccer in the region."
This decision from NCFC doesn't, in itself, undermine the work going on across multiple markets to create new USL clubs and stadiums nor does it mean the USL's ambitious D1 plans aren't feasible. But it is a reminder of what the status quo consists of. North Carolina FC's average home attendance in the USL Championship is 2.487 per this tracker. Look at the rest of the numbers for a reality check on where USL is building from. Turning these clubs into top-flight operations with modern 15,000 seater stadiums and the crowds to fill them is going to require a really major effort from the clubs and from Scholes and his staff. Serious investment is required and business models developed that are able to tap into new revenue sources in bigger sponsorship deals and a paying media rights deal.
There has been quite a lot of hype around USL in recent months and while the enthusiasm, positivity and ambition is all great, this week is a reminder that, as the history of MLS shows, the absolute key element in building a stable and growing pro soccer league in the USA is solid and reliable club ownership groups.
Also in North Carolina....
Better news for another Cary soccer property - The Soccer Tournament (TST), the annual seven-a-side competition, held at NCFC's WakeMed Soccer Park. TST secured a $6.8 million grant from the State of North Carolina, guaranteeing the tournament will continue through 2029, per Alex Silverman in the Sports Business Journal.
The grant, the largest awarded so far from the state's Major Events, Games, & Attractions Fund, is crucial for the event's continued growth, as it has not yet reached profitability. “It plays a huge role in our ability to do what we set out to do every year, which is to deliver a completely unique and valuable experience to fans and participants,” TST founder & CEO Jon Mugar said. “We want as many people as possible to come back and tell their friends about it, both on the participation side and then on the fan side as well. So, this is just a huge shot in the arm for us that will give us the ability to continue to deliver on that in even bigger ways and expand the event quicker.”
The first two years of TST were broadcast on ESPN but no details have emerged on the partner for the 2025 edition which will feature 48 men's teams and 16 women's. Teams have tended to be a mix of free agents, celebrities and former players.
Anne Hoge named founding CEO of WPSL Pro
WPSL Pro, the emerging women’s professional soccer league (D2) slated for a 2027 launch, has named Anne Hoge as its Founding Chief Executive Officer. Hoge brings significant leadership experience from hyper-growth technology companies, including senior roles at WhatsApp, Meta, Robinhood, and Calm. She also has a soccer background as a former Division I player at Stanford and was a founding investor of Bay FC, the 14th NWSL franchise. Hoge's mandate is to build long-term league value and infrastructure for WPSL Pro, which is fusing the grassroots background of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) with a professional vision as a 'bridge' with the top tier NWSL.
St. Louis CITY SC luanches AI fan experience tool
St. Louis CITY SC has unveiled "Ace," a new homegrown, agentic, and ambient AI engine accessible through the CITY app, designed to personalize the fan experience. Ace is described as the first of its kind in MLS. Built atop OpenAI’s infrastructure, the tool provides real-time personalized service for fans before, during, and after matchday. Ace helps fans navigate Energizer Park food options, parking, stadium policies, matchday activities, ticketing, and accessibility features. It is ADA-compliant and delivers multilingual support across over 18 languages, including German, Spanish, and Bosnian. The club developed Ace and partnered with MLS, SeatGeek, Levy + E15, and SkyTab Venue. The technology will be available to license to other clubs and leagues.
Checketts makes $200 million investment in ALK Capital
Veteran American sports executive Dave Checketts hinted heavily in his appearance on The Soccer Business podcast in the spring that his new Cynosure sports fund would be looking at an investment in European soccer and it wasn't a huge surprise that turned out to be to the benefit of ALK Capital, run by his former Real Salt Lake executive Alan Pace. The reported $200 million injection goes into a company which recently purchased Spanish club Espanyol to add to their controlling stake in Premier League club Burnley.
“Alan and I have known each other for decades – as partners, colleagues, and friends. We built Real Salt Lake from the ground up, and now we can collaborate again on two of Europe’s most historic clubs,” said Checketts, while Pace added: “We share the same vision for what great sports ownership looks like – combining integrity, innovation, long-term value creation, and championship culture.”
New USL 1 club in Dallas suburbs
USL League One will have a new team in the Dallas suburb of Celina, according to the Dallas Business Journal. The team, to be known as Rodeo Soccer Club will play its first seasons at Bobcat Stadium, the 7,000-seat home of Celina High School, before potentially partnering with Heady Investments to build a stadium-anchored mixed-use development. Read More.
Monarch invest in women's club in Germany
Monarch Collective, the US investment fund focused on women’s sports, has entered the European market by acquiring a 38% stake in German soccer club FC Viktoria Berlin. Statement here.
JuJu invests in Boston Legacy
JuJu Watkins, basketball star for the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans, has become the first college athlete to directly invest in a pro women's sports team, after her investment in NWSL expansion club Boston Legacy was annnounced. "Juju’s investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women’s sports and the power of NIL,” said Jennifer Epstein, Controlling Owner of Boston Legacy Football Club. “As the first college athlete to directly invest in a women's professional sports team, she’s showing that today’s student-athletes aren’t just building their own brands — they’re shaping the future of the game. We’re thrilled to welcome Juju to Boston Legacy FC as we build momentum, toward our inaugural 2026 season and home opener on March 14, 2026." Club statement here.