On February 9, 2024, the USL Super League confirmed that it was sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation for Division One, or pro-level, status. While that means it will essentially compete with the NWSL, it also indicates the state of the sport is strong.
It also represents a unique situation for this year.
The first round of roster cuts in the NWSL (February 26) meant that each of the 14 teams had to submit a trimmed roster from 40 to 32. Which also meant 112 pro-prospects went looking for new opportunities, some of whom already have legitimate pro experience.
And on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, each team's final roster must be submitted to the league. NWSL teams are allowed to sign a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 26 players. So that final cut means another potential 84 to 140 elite women players will need to find new places to play.
In previous years that has meant signing, packing and playing internationally. (That's not to suggest that was a bad thing, in fact for many those deals were tremendous. But there are players who would love to stay in, or move to, the United States.)
That's also not to say that those 84 to 140 aren't top level, many would possibly have made their squads if deals and decisions weren't already locked in place, the nature of an international pro sports business, (i.e. signing globally known and returning players, especially a home-town fan-favorite, before knowing which great young players might be available.)
The USL Super League will run from August 2024 to June 2025, in accordance with the traditional international soccer calendar, fall to summer. The league will launch with eight franchises and there are plans for expansion, aggressive ones, as the league seeks to expand to 20 by 2026.
The original eight markets will be:
Brookyln, N.Y.
Charlotte, N.C.
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Lexington, Ky.
Spokane, Wash.
Tampa, Fla.
Washington, D.C.
According to its press release:
“This is a tremendous moment for the USL Super League and for women’s sports,” said USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort.
“Receiving Division One sanctioning further showcases the work that our ownership groups, our clubs, and the league are doing to create a professional environment for top-level talent to compete. This is a crucial step toward realizing our vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field. We cannot wait to see our clubs take the field when we kick off in August 2024."
The USL network of teams and organizations is not new as it has extensive national reach for women. The USL Super League strives to serve as the nation's premier pre-pro development league and there is a strong pipeline of USL Super League clubs with at least eight additional markets: Chattanooga, Tenn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Madison, Wisc.; Oakland, Calif.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Tucson, Ariz., hoping to join.
One of the realities that face any great player when they earn the right to try out for a pro sport, is that teams are not looking for athletes with development potential—they want to sign players who are ready to compete at the highest level right now.
"We congratulate the USL in their efforts to launch a professional league," the NWSL said in a statement. "We know the work and investment required. As we have seen from our record attendance, viewership, sponsorship revenue and expansion fees, the NWSL is growing at an exceptional pace, and we're excited about our future.
"As the most competitive women's league in the world, there are limited roster spots available in the NWSL. More opportunities to compete professionally is a good thing and we're interested to see how a new league might contribute to the continued growth of our game."
Given the number and quality of sponsors, owner groups and media deals that have already invested in the NWSL and are likely to follow for the USL Super League, and fans should benefit from that growth. (Whether the collegiality between the two organizations will grow, well, we'll see.)
One things seems clear: for those 252 women who don't make it onto a NWSL roster, it means they might still be able to sign a contract to play professionally in the U.S. in 2024, as pointed out by the NWSL statement. And, isn't competition a good thing?
While our commitment during our first season will remain with promoting the NWSL, we have identified the USL Super League as a developing and interesting storyline.