This article is about the soccer governing body. For their highest-division league (formerly known as United Soccer League), see USL Championship. For the unrelated defunct league, see United Soccer League (1984–85).
The United Soccer League (USL) traces its roots to 1985 when Francisco Marcos founded the Southwest Indoor Soccer League.[4] Initially intended as a minor indoor league associated with the Major Indoor Soccer League, it began with five teams owned by operators of indoor soccer arenas in the Southwest United States. By 1986, Marcos' own team, the Austin Sockadillos, joined the league, expanding it to six teams.[5]
In 1989, the league shifted its focus beyond semi-professional indoor soccer. A press release from that year revealed ambitions to align with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF)'s plan to professionalize soccer in the lead-up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The league aimed to become part of a structured, three-tiered system envisioned by the USSF.[6]
By 1990, the league began with their first outdoor soccer competitions, and rebranded as the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League, reflecting broader ambitions. Throughout the 1990s, the league underwent significant changes. This included splitting out an amateur Premier League in 1995 (renamed to the Premier Development League (PDL) in 1997), and the launch of their first attempt at a women's league. A merger with the American Professional Soccer League was completed in 1997 to form the A-League (later named the USL First Division), solidifying its position in the U.S. soccer pyramid.[7]
In 2009, several USL First Division clubs expressed dissatisfaction with the league's leadership and structure, leading to a significant split. These clubs formed a breakaway competition called the North American Soccer League (NASL), which aimed to operate as a separate second division under the USSF. This division sparked disputes over sanctioning rights between the USL and the NASL. In response, the USSF organized a temporary combined league in 2010 before officially sanctioning the NASL as a separate entity.[8]
In 2010, the USL unified its First Division and Second Division under the name USL Pro to consolidate its professional competitions, and moved down to the third division.[9] In 2013, USL Pro and Major League Soccer (MLS) entered a partnership to integrate their competitions, enhancing player development and strengthening the league's professional status.[10] The W-League folded in 2015. Second division sanctioning was once again granted by USSF in 2017. In 2019, the professional league rebranded to USL Championship, the PDL rebranded as USL League Two, and a new division three league named USL League One was launched.
In recent years, the USL has expanded its reach significantly in the women's game. It reintroduced the W League in 2022 to support women's development and launched the USL Super League in 2024 as a Division I professional women's league alongside the National Women's Soccer League.[11][12]
On February 13, 2025, the USL announced plans to launch a Division I league in 2027 that would exist apart from MLS, pending USSF approval. They also re-stated their desire to eventually introduce a promotion and relegation system like most other global soccer leagues.[13]
The USL operates three divisions within the U.S. soccer pyramid for men's professional and developmental teams:
USL Championship: The second division of professional soccer in the United States, sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. It includes a regular season and playoffs to determine the league champion.
USL League One: The third division of professional soccer, launched in 2019 to focus on smaller markets and player development. It also features a regular season and playoffs.
USL League Two: A developmental league primarily for collegiate players aspiring to go professional. It operates during the summer and provides a platform for scouting and talent development.
The USL has a history of organizing leagues and competitions that have since evolved or ceased operations:
USL First Division: The former top-tier league operated by the USL until 2010, when it was restructured into the USL Pro (now USL Championship).
USL Second Division: Operated as a lower-level professional league until 2010, when its teams were absorbed into other USL leagues.
Southwest Indoor Soccer League: The USL's original indoor competition, established in 1986. It provided a platform for amateur and semi-professional teams in the Southwest United States.
Sunbelt Independent Soccer League (Indoor Division): After expanding into outdoor soccer in 1990, the league continued operating indoor divisions to maintain year-round competition. The indoor leagues were phased out as the organization shifted its focus to outdoor soccer in the 1990s.
These competitions show the evolution of the USL from its origins as an indoor soccer league to a modern, multi-tiered system supporting professional and developmental soccer across North America.
New Mexico Chiles (1989–1991, 1994, Indoor: 1986/87–90/91, as Albuquerque Outlaws in 1986/87, as Albuquerque Gunners in 1987/88–1990, as New Mexico Roadrunners in 1990/91)
New Orleans Storm (1993–99; as New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers in 1993–97)
