Why the US Needs Pro-Rel

In an era where traditional American professional sports like basketball (NBA) and American football (NFL) are generating news for teams not being competitive, and in some cases “tanking” in hopes of potentially landing high draft picks, it is refreshing to read news of the USL implementing promotion-relegation in 2028.

With the ever-increasing number of “meaningless” games in the US sports landscape, it is inevitable that the interest level or fan frustration will increase. In many American sports, teams either have the objective of winning a title, or obtaining a high draft position, with the hopes that an unproven player at the professional level will turn around the team’s fortunes in the future. As a result, teams that determine they cannot compete for a title, in many cases trade their best players or limit the times their best players perform in an attempt to lessen the likelihood of winning games, as draft position is rewarded based on obtaining negative results in the field of play. This is most prevalent in the NBA and NFL. Real passion for the sport continues to dwindle, most fans see it as a form of just entertainment, no real affiliation to a team or club. It is common to see a game in which the majority of the “fans” are rooting for the away team, as they are there to see the star player on the other team. In other sports like Major League Baseball, which plays a 162-game schedule, many teams are limited as to what they can do as they cannot compete economically with some of the top teams. In many cases a team can play 40% of its schedule and pretty much be out of title contention, leading to the club just playing out the season with no real objectives.

It is hard to expect a community to be rejuvenated or feel a sense of pride for its local team, when many of those teams don’t have a real desire to win. Contrast that to the international landscape, in which results are all that matter. While every team may not have a realistic chance at a title, other objectives which involve winning are always at play. The biggest sport in the world, soccer, or football, as it is known throughout the world, is embedded in most communities throughout the world. Fans live and die by the fortunes of their favorite team. Its unimaginable to think of a fan “hoping” his team loses a match. Success is based on winning and maintaining status in their league or gaining promotion. Financial objectives are also tied to how a team does. Gaining promotion leads to financial rewards, playing at a higher stage with significant economic benefits. Being relegated, means financial loss, clubs cannot expect the same economic gains at a lower division. Players’ salaries are reduced in cases of relegation. This drives performance. As a result, it is very common to see a team in a relegation match, competing at a high level with a title contender in the late stages of league play as everything is on the line. Success for some will be winning a title, for others reaching continental competition, being promoted, or avoiding relegation. Each Club will have its objective and the only way they can achieve that objective is by trying to obtain as many points as possible, thus no meaningless games.

US Soccer has up until this point adopted the US sports model which does not involve promotion and relegation. It is hard to expect players raised in the American sports culture to compete on equal terms with international players who are used to competitive pressure on a daily basis. The absence of the promotion/relegation model means that every game does not matter. The pressure needed to handle that is something many players in America are lacking. With financial incentive tied to how a team performs, and the division they compete in, players mentalities should improve and teams will have an increased urgency to invest in roster development if there is path to promotion or the objective of avoiding relegation.

With the United Soccer League (USL) having a more “international” look to it, as teams are in many communities throughout the country, it makes sense they would be the league to bring promotion and relegation to the United States. The USL is creating a merit-based, three-tier professional structure. This structure will increase competitive intensity, enhance fan engagement, and align with global soccer standards. The aim is to ensure that every match matters, performance is rewarded, and the identities of communities are tied to local clubs. This will create an identity in which the game is not just an entertainment experience but an event with high stakes involved. Soccer is about passion, community, about love for the colors, and that can only happen in an environment where the players, fans and club officials are on the same page and with the same objectives.