The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors granted provisional Division 2 status on Friday to the North American Soccer League (NASL) and United Soccer League (USL) for the 2017 season.
The two leagues had both applied for Division 2 status, with the NASL looking to maintain its position as the sole second-tier professional league in the United States and Canada while the USL aimed to move up a rung on the organizational ladder.
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“After an exhaustive process working with both leagues, in the best interest of the sport the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors has decided to grant provisional Division II status to the NASL and USL,” USSF president Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “U.S. Soccer will create an internal working group that will work with each league to set a pathway to meet the full requirements for Division II and allow for the larger goal of creating a sustainable future. We look forward to another productive year for professional soccer in this country.”
Neither league currently meets the all the criteria set out for a second-tier profesional league in the U.S., but U.S. Soccer said it would continue to work alongside the two leagues to ensure that additional standards are met in the coming weeks.
“The USL is honored to receive provisional U.S. Soccer Federation Division 2 status, which provides further validation about our League’s financial sustainability, national footprint, ownership quality, stadium infrastructure and player development,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said.
“The NASL Board of Governors and I support the USSF’s decision to grant the league provisional Division 2 status," said North Carolina FC owner Steve Malik. "We’re excited about the eight teams beginning play in April, and we look forward to the continued growth of our league and soccer in the U.S.”
Both leagues will welcome new teams in 2017. The San Francisco Deltas will join the NASL as an expansion side, while the USL sees former NASL teams Ottawa Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies join expansion side Reno 1868 into the fold.