USL announces women's league

[LadyStanley]

USL Announces New Professional Division II Women’s Soccer League

Press release

The United Soccer League (USL) will create a professional Division II women’s soccer league in the United States: the USL Super League. With this new league, the USL presents an unprecedented pathway for players--from youth to professional--within one ecosystem. The formation of the USL Super League will provide new opportunities for players, fans, coaches, referees, staff and executives looking to participate in women’s professional soccer.

The USL Super League’s compensation structure and professional standards will be consistent with the USL men’s professional leagues. The USL Super League brand reflects this commitment to gender equity and reaffirms that the USL portfolio is built upon a recognized and proven structure of success in international football.

Home | uslwleague.com

Website link

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[GindyDraws]

The USL already is going to deal with an issue of MLS creating their own reserve league once again, muddling the "pyramid" of American soccer, nevermind one of the NWSL teams is operated with an USL team in Racing Louisville.

So while this is a good idea on paper, this is going to be confusing.

 

[KingLB]

The USL already is going to deal with an issue of MLS creating their own reserve league once again, muddling the "pyramid" of American soccer, nevermind one of the NWSL teams is operated with an USL team in Racing Louisville.

So while this is a good idea on paper, this is going to be confusing.

Confusing shouldn’t be the fear. Viability definitely is. USL players barely make a livable wage. Not sure you will have full time players in a woman’s USL.

 

[GindyDraws]

Confusing shouldn’t be the fear. Viability definitely is. USL players barely make a livable wage. Not sure you will have full time players in a woman’s USL.

I was also going to get to that. Part of what helped prop up USL a bit was allowing MLS reserve teams to play in USL Championship and League One after MLS dissolved their old reserve league, but after the whole fiasco earlier this year where the Washington Spirit played a few games at Segra Field (where Loudoun United FC play), people found out just how substandard the offerings were for people playing at the "reserve level", and that was a new facility. If that was a problem on the USL front, where the only "national" TV deal is ESPN+ and a few select ESPN 2 or Univision games annually, imagine the troubles this women's league will face, cause while the NWSL manages to do okay in some markets, several teams struggle to have an average above 5K a game. Now, consider this for a lower level with what will be inferior talent in smaller towns or crappier venues?

More likely, these players will either moonlight or be playing in other leagues much like WNBA players as a means to supplement their income.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

This just seems D.O.A. to me unless the players are willing to play for practically free.

Maybe it's sexist, but you really shouldn't set up any professional women's league where the men's league is struggling to keep the doors open

 

[GindyDraws]

This just seems D.O.A. to me unless the players are willing to play for practically free.

Maybe it's sexist, but you really shouldn't set up any professional women's league where the men's league is struggling to keep the doors open

And already they're just flinging teams into this league. Today alone, there's a minimum of 17 teams confirmed to begin play either the first year or within two or three seasons.

It's an attempt to have quantity over quality, much like the current USL model.