There has been a lot of discussion among fans of the beautiful game in the U.S. about promotion and relegation. On this site, Daniel Feuerstein supported the idea down the road. One of his main points was that, once MLS and USL clubs have their own stadiums … a lot of the obstacles to this format, would then work themselves out.
I agree that if North American soccer were to make this switch, it would take some time and that teams having their own facilities would be a giant step in the right direction. However, another possibility has begun to formulate.
Perhaps, promotion / relegation might find a beginning in this part of the world, a different way. Maybe, in light of the essential “promotion” of Seattle and Portland to MLS franchises (and the flirtation with FC Barcelona Miami), the U.S. based leagues will start with their own model. USL could be a breeding ground for new MLS sides.
For starters, this issue, is an extremely divisive one. It seems that there are just as many advocates of pro / rel, as there are those who like the conference style / playoff setup. I also want to point out that, playoffs and pro / rel could also work together. Personally, I think that pro / rel wouldn’t be a bad idea, but definitely well down the road. However, I don’t want to see the playoff system thrown out the window, as it is culturally relevant to American sports. Not to mention, it’s nice to see different leagues around the world take on their own identity and style in soccer, while still keeping unity with the beautiful game, around the globe.
For pro / rel to ever work … MLS and USL would have to develop a better relationship, of course. And this cooperation could start with a franchise building partnership. Cross – marketing, would benefit both leagues. New teams to the North American system, could start off in USL. There, these clubs could get their bearings straight, learn the ins and outs of the American game. Then, once they have set up shop and proven their ability to thrive as a franchise, make the jump to the top tier.
Granted, MLS would definitely have to compensate the USL financially, as the best teams would be leaving after establishing themselves in the second tier. But, it would be a good way to test markets and organizations, before adding them to the top level. Though the USL – 1 product doesn’t appear to be so different in quality than MLS, solid teams are already jumping ship.
It would be a start anyways, as we are very far away from having soccer – specific, club – owned facilities for all teams. And it would be a good opportunity for foreign investors, such as the Stoke City based ownership group, of the Austin Aztex. This type of arrangement, would allow them to try their hand in the American game, before completely committing their finances.
In the end, I think soccer has the best chance in succeeding in this country, through solidarity. So here’s hoping, one way or the other, to some kind of kinship among all domestic brands, to build the strong foundation we need.
loading...
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Um, was there a point in there? You didn’t actually propose anything, you just talked around the subject and suggested a vague idea of promotion for USL-1 clubs. Where’s the relegation part, and how would that actually change anything?
loading...
Well … I was just drying to drum up conversation on the subject. And I was just bringing up an idea on how to get MLS and USL to start working together. Like I said, with teams already jumping ship … why not set up a partnership where USL is a developing ground for new teams, to get their bearings, before making the jump to MLS.
loading...
That would be nice, though it appears to be a pipe dream for at least the time being; Garber and MLS don’t want to “slum”, and Marcos and ULS obviously think they can compete with the bigger league.
At least, that’s the way it appears.
I lamented the situation myself: MLS & USL: Dysfunction, American Style
loading...
Pardon the typo.
loading...
I think pro/reg is a partial answer to the frequently discussed topic of whether league parity equals mediocrity. Yes, on one hand, it’s stupid in Germany that Bayern is a bit like the Yankees. On the other hand, when it comes to the finale, there’s exciting games to watch on both ends of the spectrum. Just as exciting as the championship game, if you’re a fan of a cusp-level team, their last games of the season can be huge celebratory victories when they scrape by and remain in the top league; in many ways, it can be a much more meaningful victory than winning the league cup, and certainly can have more concrete consequences.
I think with pro/reg you address the main issue of parity/mediocrity, which is the fear of a team unable to sell tickets because they suck. With the threat of relegation (more importantly, the victorious thrill of NOT getting relegated), a crappy team could easily pack a stadium, and with so much on the line their fans would be on the edge of their seats.
Plus, I think it’s fun to fantasize about the Galaxy getting relegated, and watching Beckham try and spin it as everyone’s fault but his own.
loading...
playoffs and pro/rel together would be amazing. cup winner is promoted, teams that don’t make the playoffs have their own playoff bracket the winners are not relegated. not exactly sure how this would work but it would mean the best of both worlds. combine the north american sports flavour with the world game. is going to happen though? unlikely. pro/rel is great because it motivates teams to always be good instead of like in many north american sports where many teams settle for mediocrity for a couple of seasons while they “rebuild”
loading...
I want to see the top USL team have a wild card spot in MLS every year. No home games for them, so MLS clubs financially benefit from an additional home game, and it raises the visibility of USL, establishes it a viable, visible destination for players on the edge. Also creates the underdog rivalry, that made the Puerto Rico Islanders so appealing in CONCACAF.
loading...
Um…
Do you really want to scare away owners? There is no way that the owners in MLS are going to stick with the clubs after being relegated. And talk about attendance problems! One of the only things keeping the league going is that, in any given year, some team can rise out of nothing and might even win the cup. This Shouldn’t be the case; as much as we love the American dream, we hate it when our most storied clubs are unable to keep it together over the long haul.
Basically, USL teams deserve the chance, but it would break the league. No one wants to be a loser in the United States. They’d rather root for foreign clubs who Always win. Relegation will not, and should not happen anytime soon.
loading...
Pro/rel for me only makes sense when the ratio of clubs per capita is very low, like one per million at the least. so for me it’s a better solution for baseball, or for college football, than it is for soccer. As it is I think the pyramid we have now in the USL, where clubs are divided on a financial basis, is fine.
loading...
I think the promotion/relegation system is a long way from being a reality in the united states. The USL and MLS are both trying to carve out a niche for themselves in the american sports market, and right now they need to compete to produce 1 solid league. MLS has much better mainstream media coverage (althoug it isn’t very good yet), than USL does, so right now a USL team that is doing well for itself will probably look to expand into MLS, and rightfully so as there is more money to be made there. The expansion rush is going to help with teams getting themselves soccer specific stadiums. I think that is the real benefit of having the leagues competing right now…the USL is going to try to be a better league than MLS and compete for the same market. This is going to speed up the process of new stadiums being built, even if they are small stadiums, which is good for the sport in general.
loading...
Nothing would grow the sport in the U.S. more than instituting an open league with full promotion/relegation, and giving clubs more autonomy throughout the system. These discussions always seem to devolve into predictions, instead of focusing on the cost/benefit analysis. Why do we think a group of owners knows more about where and when a club can join their league than that clubs supporters? Why did we allow them to bottle and sell top division soccer anyway?
Scare away owners? Where are they going? I argue that giving investors a chance to get it at a fraction of the cost of the $30 mil MLS is currently charging, and unlimiting their futures by opening the leagues will ATTRACT them, not dissuade them.
NCAA mens basketball tournament seems to do OK and has multi-year contracts with networks – despite 30% or more team turnover annually – why not soccer?
And aren’t we sick of MLS dictating quality of play thru salary caps, roster size, etc. etc. in the name of parity? Maybe it works for NFL – the predominate league in the world it their sport but holding back top clubs with these measures is killing them in international play.
Open the League and watch soccer grow. I’ll argue with anyone who says that average attendance in USL 1 and 2 won’t quadruple after opening the league.
Plus, you could bring both divisions up to 20 clubs within 12 months.
With demand, comes infrastructure. Do you want to see a boom in soccer specific stadium construction? Support the open league.
MLS gets biggest splash from new clubs entering the league. Arguably, expansion keeps them afloat. Why not three new clubs a year through promotion?
There’s room for the model here in the U.S. Think about it this way – how many of you out there would support only franchise restaurants? Personally, I like restaurants with greater autonomy.
USL 1 is second in the pyramid, and nothing is going to change that. Competing for the same market does not change the FIFA and U.S. Soccer sanction.
We have to stop letting MLS bottle and sell top division soccer. Nothing retards the growth of the sport more.
Thank goodness the FA didn’t close off the sport in a franchise bottle when they formed their pro league structure – I suspect we wouldn’t be having this conversation today.
loading...
MLS will never have relegation and promotion. Period.
Anyone who thinks it’s likely occur in ANY top tier professional sport in the USA is completely unaware of how professional sports work in the USA.
Also, promotion and relegation will not make MLS better. It will make a bunch of idiots who think promotion and relegation is inherently part of soccer pretend to give a shit about MLS for a couple of days before they turn up their noses and go back to watching the English Premiership on Fox Soccer Channel.
loading...
Mike – do you only frequent franchise restaurants? Shop in franchise stores? Clearly you don’t only post on franchise websites – so there’s hope for you yet!
How come Japan can have the franchise model for baseball and the open league model for soccer? Both thrive side by side.
Oh, and if we ever want to host another world cup, it’d be a plus.
Yes, us supporters of promotion and relegation understand how all professional sports run in the USA. We just don’t understand why they all have to.
And you have to stop with the inferiority complex. If I had local a league that allowed clubs the autonomy to make their own futures, and strive for their own goals, I can accept a lower quality of play – defined by the market forces on individual clubs, not by nameless league investors. At least I know they are not being limited by a league that micromanages players down to which porta-potties they use.
NFL worship isn’t healthy, dude. Can you name the last time a league that used promotion and relegation folded? But then again, I do remember the Scottish Claymores and the Rhine Fire…
loading...
Haaaaave you met Ted?
He’s absolutely spot on right. The whole point of creating the MLS was to grow American Soccer. Nothing would grow it more than Pro/Reg.
loading...
after watching an exciting sounders/fire match today, i then watched the wizards play los angeles. the nil nil draw was more exciting than that snooze fest. now watching san jose play … boooooring. why? because these matches don’t mean anything. with promotion and relegation, all matches mean something. not only do you want to be at the top to win (and not in the stupid 8 teams that make the ridiculous “playoffs”) but you also want to stay out of the bottom to avoid getting relegated. here, who cares about the earthquakes? who cares about the red bulls? who cares about the wizards? oh that someday they will win? but garber, for all of his efforts, can’t rig the league that much to spread around the winning. look either mls will accept a single table, ditch the playoffs and get promotion and relegation, or it will die when teams like the sounders and united end up dominating year after year.
loading...
With a colleague, we wrote a paper on this topic: http://ideas.repec.org/p/sol/wpaper/09-038.html
loading...
you are right on the money Ted.
I’ve gotten to the conclusion that MLS would never implement pro/rel. There are powerfull forces in US against pro/rel; but they are against it not becuse pro/rel would be bad for soccer, but because they know there would be no turning back after that happens.
Think about the share of the market that soccer would take away from the other traditional sports, if a system that would allow any club to join a lower league relatively cheep ( no $40. mil ), and work their way up by their own merits , not by some narrow interests dictating who is in and who is out.
loading...
MLS is against it because it is bad for their bottom line. Simple as that.
loading...