In a move that promises to fundamentally reshape the landscape of American soccer, the United Soccer League (USL) officially announced today the launch of USL Premier as a new Division One men’s professional league.
USL Premier is positioned as a new Division One men’s professional league, USL Premier will anchor a revolutionary three-tier pathway. Most notably, the league confirmed it will introduce promotion and relegation, a merit-based system common in global football but historically absent from the American professional sports model.
The New Pyramid: Three Tiers, One Goal
The USL’s new “interconnected framework” is designed to create a clear, competitive ladder for clubs and players. Scheduled to kick off in 2028, the structure will organize the divisions as follows:
USL Premier 20 clubs
USL Championship 20 clubs
USL League One Continued Expansion and Regionalization
By aligning these divisions, the USL aims to foster “matches of consequence,” where performance on the pitch directly dictates a club’s standing and financial future.
To spearhead this ambitious transition, the USL has made a massive front-office hire. Tony Scholes, the current Chief Football Officer of the English Premier League, will join as President of USL Premier this summer.
Scholes brings a wealth of experience from the world’s most successful soccer pyramid, signaling the USL’s intent to build a top-tier product that meets international standards of competitive integrity.
“USL Premier is a defining piece of our long-term vision,” said Alec Papadakis, CEO of the USL. “By establishing a clear structure, we’re… unlocking meaningful opportunities for stakeholders and investors as we continue to grow the game and prepare to introduce promotion and relegation.”
The timing of the announcement coincides with a “golden era” for American soccer. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, the USL is positioning itself to capture a massive surge in fan engagement and investment.
The league is currently reviewing applications for inaugural USL Premier members, with a focus on clubs that are rooted in their communities and ready to compete at the highest level.
While the specific mechanics of how clubs will move between the tiers are still being finalized, the message from Tampa is clear: the era of the “closed shop” in American soccer is nearing its end.
