I’m not sure what’s flashier: Bay FC’s letterman jackets or their incoming class of signings. It’s obviously the signings, but the jackets are cool, too. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan and Steph Yang — welcome to Full Time!
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New League In Town
USL Super League awarded D1 status
We are at the precipice of an explosion of women’s soccer in this country. The NWSL is set to expand to 16 teams by 2026, with Utah Royals and Bay FC joining the fun this season, before Boston and another TBD team are added. Hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup is also still a possibility for the U.S. and now there’s another first division league in the mix.
On Friday, U.S. Soccer approved Division I sanctioning for the USL Super League, which is set to begin later this year. The season will run from fall to summer, different from how the NWSL and MLS currently schedule their games but on par with the European calendar. USLSL president Amanda Vandervort told The Athletic last May they would seek to recruit international as well as domestic players.
To earn the top division billing in the women’s outdoor league, the USLSL needed:
- A minimum of eight…