Last week, U.S. Soccer approved Division I sanctioning for the USL Super League, a new professional women’s league set to join the NWSL atop the U.S. pyramid.
On Tuesday, USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort held a press conference to give more details on the league’s upcoming August 2024 launch. Here’s what we know so far about the launch of USLSL.
What is the USL Super League?
USL Super League is a new fully professional women’s soccer league. The league has been in the works for several years and was announced in 2021, but only recently received Division I sanctioning from US Soccer after deciding not to pursue DII sanctioning as originally planned.
Division I teams operate at the highest level of U.S. Soccer sanctioning and also have the most stringent requirements to qualify, including minimums for population (750,000 in 75% of markets), stadium seating (5,000), operational budget (enough to operate for three years), and ownership net worth ($25 million).
Can they compete with the NWSL?
Currently, the USLSL seems to be operating under the assumption of coexistence rather than outright head-to-head competition. The league is framing their plans as adding to the women’s soccer landscape rather than creating a schism.
The league’s design also allows…
