United Soccer League to bring promotion and relegation to American soccer for first time, starting in 2028

It is a groundbreaking moment in American football. The United Soccer League has voted to adopt a promotion and relegation system. This makes the USL the first American professional sports competition that works on the implementation of the global layered model, which is the standard for top competitions around the world such as the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga. This will debut when the new previously announced Division One League launches for the 2027-28 season.

That competition was announced a month ago and will complete the levels with the USL Championship (Division Two) and USL League One (Division Three). With the football sport that grows in America prior to the World Cup 2026, the USL sees this ass a perfect starting point for the competition to adapt to something that is more familiar with enjoyers of the European system. It is something that needs to be worked out, but the competition has plans to share more information about the structure in the coming months.

“A new chapter in American football begins. The decision of our owners to properly approve and continue this daring direction is proof of their dedication to the long -term growth of football in the United States,” said Alec Papadakis, CEO of the United Soccer League. “This is an important milestone for the USL and emphasizes our shared vision with our team ownership to build a competition that not only offers top competition, but also the involvement of the community champion. Now, just as it is in the worldwide game, more communities in America can strive to compete at the highest level of football. It is time.”

The USL was initially founded in 1986 and has been preparing for this step for years, where talent in all its divisions improves. There are no shortages of players to work out schedules if new teams are added. In competitions such as England received, degraded teams pay payments to cope with the income distribution to fall out of the top flight and such protection will also be needed in America, but if they get such details, this is still an exciting time for football if it is done well.

Promotion and relegation has been something that part of the American Fandom has clocked and now is the way to make it happen. With the voting of USL -property for promotion and relegation, it is already a 2023 improvement form when this was a possibility, but did not have the support to give a mood. Now it is about laying the infrastructure to make it a success.