USL outlines three-division framework ahead of promotion and relegation
TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League (USL) today announced USL Premier as the official name of its Division One men’s professional league and unveiled a new structure for its men’s pathway, establishing an interconnected three-tier framework designed to support long-term growth, competitive integrity, and the introduction of promotion and relegation.
USL Premier will serve as the top tier of a unified men’s professional pathway that also includes the USL Championship and USL League One. As part of this structure, the USL is aligning competition formats across divisions to support balanced schedules, credible movement, and future expansion.
Under the future league structure, the USL is establishing the following initial framework, which could evolve over time:
- USL League One (Division Three) will continue to grow nationally while organizing competition regionally, allowing clubs to compete closer to home and build local rivalries.
- USL Premier (Division One) will operate as a single national table, with a long-term target of 20 clubs, and is scheduled to launch in 2028.
- USL Championship (Division Two) will also operate as a single national table, with 20 clubs, strengthening competitive consistency and national reach.
As this structure takes shape alongside the launch of USL Premier, the USL will introduce America’s first promotion and relegation system – creating a connected, merit-based professional pathway that rewards performance, raises the level of competition across all divisions, and delivers more matches of consequence for clubs, players, fans and partners.
“USL Premier is a defining piece of our long-term vision for the men’s game,” said Alec Papadakis, CEO of the United Soccer League. “We’ve built a multi-tier professional system that is both scalable and rooted in communities. By establishing a clear structure, we’re creating a strong foundation for clubs, players, and fans, and unlocking meaningful opportunities for stakeholders and investors as we continue to grow the game and prepare to introduce promotion and relegation.”
The USL is currently reviewing applications from clubs interested in competing in USL Premier and will announce the league’s inaugural members at a later date.
Soccer in the United States is entering a pivotal period, fueled by rising participation and the country’s role as host of major global sporting events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This national spotlight is expected to deepen fan engagement, introduce new audiences to the sport, and drive demand for professional soccer in communities across the country, an opportunity the USL is uniquely positioned to capture.
Building on this momentum, Tony Scholes, current Chief Football Officer of the English Premier League, will join USL Premier as President upon completing his responsibilities in England this summer.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, reaching more than 200 communities nationwide. It is the first and only soccer league to offer a complete youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women within a single, unified structure. On the men’s side, this includes four tiers: the newly announced USL Premier (Division I}, USL Championship (Division II}, USL League One (Division Ill}, and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway features the Gainbridge Super League, a Division One professional league, and the USL W League, the country’s top preprofessional league. The USL also operates USL Academy, a progressive talent development system, and USL Youth, a premier national platform for younger players. With multi-year national and international media rights agreements across various platforms including CBS Sports, ESPN and Peacock, the USL is the most widely accessible soccer league in the country.
