Still work ahead for growing USL
Sporadically, soccer fans emailed the newspaper with reasons the United Soccer League was considered by many the secondtier league in the United States.
“It’s more stable and organized compared to the second-division North American Soccer League, plus it’s partnered with Major League Soccer,” said some of the arguments.
While those statements largely were true, at the time the league was officially sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as Division 3. In January, that changed. The federation granted both the USL and NASL provisional Division 2 status for 2017. It was the culmination of a nearly three-year process for the USL, but the Tampa-based league’s work isn’t done yet.
“One thing we always say here at the league office is, ‘You can never accept the status quo,’” USL president
told the Orlando Sentinel. “Achieving Division 2, while it’s a tremendous achievement for the league and clubs, it’s part of a longer growth plan and we’ve not arrived.”
The strategy to move up the American soccer ladder took shape in 2014 as part of a 10-year plan of growth for the league. Edwards said USL worked with outside agencies to meet sanctioning requirements — a certain number of clubs, owners with commitment and resources and proper facilities, among others – and weigh the pros and cons. An official application of intent was submitted to the federation in January 2015.
Edwards said the bulk of the work to meet sanctioning requirements involved pushing to improve the league’s independent teams, those 20 organizations not associated with a Major League Soccer franchise.
The USL also submitted a strategic plan of investment in broadcast, commercial ventures, club services and stadiums. USL teams invested more than $100 million into stadium development last year, according to league CEO
When the sanctioning COMMENTARY decision was announced Jan. 6, U.S. Soccer president
said the federation “will create an internal working group that will work with the league to set a pathway to meet the full requirements for Division II and allow for the larger goal of creating a sustainable future.”
With one goal checked off, the league’s next steps include launching USL Productions. The more than $10 million project based in South Florida will allow USL to self-produce and broadcast about 500 games, Edwards said. The goal is improve the quality and quantity of content that can be shared globally, grow the league commercially and attract additional partners. Massive investments also will be made on the digital side, with a focus on aggregating and streamlining content on the web and social media.
“We want to service the fans more and more on the digital side, with richer analysis and data on players and the game,” Edwards said. “We want to continue to work with our clubs, invest in the infrastructure and improve the quality and professionalism of all aspects of the league.”
“Ultimately, the decision to award the sanctioning was a validation of the level clubs have achieved and the investment we’ve made to get to that level. We are extremely pleased with the outcome, and it certainly gives us a platform now moving forward to execute some of the initiatives we’re working on.”
Many things contributed to the USL’s swift growth the past few years — from 13 teams in 2013 to 30 teams this season and another, Nashville FC, coming in 2018 — one being Orlando City. Edwards called the Lions “transformational” for the league when they played from 2011-14 before joining MLS.
“It was a tremendous thing to see Orlando in the USL Cup final with 23,000 people in the stadium, winning championships,” Edwards said. “They really helped USL become what it is today.”
Now, Orlando City B, which began USL competition last season, will make its own contribution to the league. Edwards said everyone in the league office is excited to see OCB play in the $155 million soccerspecific stadium downtown, also home to Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Playing in the facility elevates the league as a whole, he said.
OCB also will be part of a regional rivalry this season since the Tampa Bay Rowdies left the NASL to join the USL, making The War on I-4 an intraleague derby for the first time.
“As we look to expand our league nationally, we are focused on building those regional rivalries and those derby games,” said Edwards, adding his favorites right now are CincinnatiLouisville in the East and Sacramento-Los Angeles in the West. “There are a couple other markets in the southeast we very may well expand into over the next couple years to help create those rivalries and opportunities for fans to travel. It’s tremendous to see the two teams in the same league now.
“This will be the most competitive [USL has] ever been.”