USL considering promotion and relegation system

The element of promotions and relegations has been a key factor in the world of football for decades now. It has helped a lot of clubs to strive for improvement and growth, which is something that the Major League Soccer is very keen on and now it seems that system could be making its way in the United States.

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It has been reported recently that the United Soccer League, most commonly known as the USL, is set to vote next month to determine if they will implement a promotion and relegation system. If accepted, this would see the divisions known as USL Championship and League One to be connected, with the former being the second and the latter being the third.

It is also worth taking into account that this could be something unprecedented in the world of football in the United States. Relegations and promotions have never been part of the sport in this country, so this could prove to be a major paradigm shift in terms of how football is played and perceived there. Other sports in the United States don’t have a system of this ilk, so this could prove to be a game-changer for the sport there.

Regardless, it has to be said that if the vote is approved, it is not meant to be executed immediately. According to reports, this decision has been made to gauge the owners’ interest and see if they would be willing to do such a monumental change. After all, this decision could also lead to many changes in how football is managed in the USL.

The opportunity of gaining promotion can be a major chance for growth and improvement in terms of the teams involved while relegation would be a much tougher punishment for teams that fail to perform across the season. Therefore, elements such as the handling of football managers, the transfer windows, and even the entire planning of the seasons are going to be changed for a much different approach.

There is also the element of public funding. The vast majority of football teams in the United States receive a degree of public funding for the construction of their stadiums, with part of the agreement including that they are going to play in that city and in that league. Therefore, the element of promotions and relegations could prove to be a major paradigm shift in terms of the contracts and agreements made with public entities, which is another factor worth taking into account.

When it comes to the Major League Soccer, there hasn’t been a major interest in the implementation of this system. The MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, was fairly vocal about not being very sure about how this system works nowadays and didn’t show a lot of initiative regarding executing it in the league, so that doesn’t seem like a possibility at the moment.

Be that as it may, this is a very important step in the growth and development of football in that nation.