The United Soccer Leagues (USL) is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the United Soccer League, the Premier Development League and the youth Super Y-League and Super-20 League. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, the United States Adult Soccer Association and the Canadian Soccer Association.
History
Year by year
- 1986 Established as Southwest Indoor Soccer League
- 1989 Added an outdoor league known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League. This was soon changed to Southwest Independent Soccer League which included both the indoor and outdoor leagues.
- 1990 Renamed Sunbelt Independent Soccer League
- 1991 Renamed United States Interregional Soccer League
- 1995 Renamed United States International Soccer League
- 1995 Renamed United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues and formally established professional Pro League and amateur Amateur Premier League
- 1995 The W-League women's semi-pro league is launched.
- 1996 Established Select League consisting of strongest teams from Division 3 Pro League and Amateur Premier League in hopes of gaining Division 2 sanctioning.
- 1997 Select League and the former American Professional Soccer League merged to form A-League under the USISL umbrella.
- 1999 Umbrella USISL changed its name to the modern United Soccer Leagues.
- 2009 Nike sells organization. As a result, nine clubs left the First Division to form the North American Soccer League: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks FC, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, Rochester Rhinos, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Vancouver Whitecaps, and the AC St. Louis expansion group.[1][2] United Soccer League was a division in the temporary USSF Division 2 league.[3]
- 2010 USL announced the formation of USL Pro, which merged the USL First Division and USL Second Division.[4]
- 2011 Inaugural season of USL Pro.
- 2011 USL takes over operation of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
- 2013 USL Pro and Major League Soccer announce a multi-year agreement, beginning that season, to integrate MLS Reserve League play with USL Pro teams, first through team affiliations and "interleague" play, eventually fully merging MLS Reserves into the USL Pro structure.
- 2013 The W-20 League is launched, a youth league that is operationally aligned with the W-League.[5]
- 2015 USL Pro renamed United Soccer League
- 2015 W-League and W-20 League ceases operations.[6]
Narrative
Founded in 1985 by Francisco Marcos, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League was first intended as a minor indoor league associated with Major Indoor Soccer League.[7] The league began with five teams, all owned by individuals who owned or operated indoor soccer arenas in the Southwest United States. League headquarters was in Austin, Texas. In 1986, Marcos' team, the Austin Sockadillos, entered the league giving it six teams. By 1989, the league had set its sights on greater prospects than remaining a small, semi-professional indoor league. A 1989 press release stated, "It is envisioned the league will be part of the USSF's plan to professionalize soccer in the USA prior to the 1994 World Cup, and the league plans to push its teams to be considered for the "three-tiered first, second and third divisions" plan the USSF envisions for soccer."[8]
Complete historical team list
SISL
USISL
- Amarillo Challengers (Indoor: 1991/92)
- Ann Arbor Elite (1995)
- Arizona Cotton (1993–94, Indoor: 1991/92–92/93, as Phoenix Hearts in 1991/92)
- Arkansas A's (1992, 94, Indoor: 1991/92, as Arkansas Diamonds in 1994)
- Atlanta Lightning (Indoor: 1991/92)
- Atlanta Magic (1993–94, Indoor: 1991/92–95/96, as Atlanta Lasers in 1993)
- Austin Lone Stars (1992–94, as Austin Sockadillos in 1992–93)
- Baltimore Bays (1993–94, Indoor: 1992/93–97/98)
- Birmingham Grasshoppers (1993–94)
- Boca Raton Sabres (1992–94)
- Boston Storm (1994)
- Brandon Braves (Indoor: 1994/95–95/96)
- Cape Cod Crusaders (1994)
- Central California Valley Hydra (1994)
- Charlotte Eagles (1993–94)
- Charleston Battery (1993–94)
- Chattanooga Express (1992–94, Indoor: 1992/93–95/96, as Chattanooga Railroaders in 1992–1992/93)
- Chico Rooks (1993–94)
- Cincinnati Cheetahs (1994)
- Cocoa Expos (1994, Indoor: 1993/94)
- Colorado Comets (Indoor: 1991/92)
- Columbia Heat (1993–94, as Columbia Spirit in 1993)
- Connecticut Wolves (1993–94)
- Coral Springs Kicks (1993)
- Dallas Rockets (1992–94, Indoor: 1991/92, as North Texas Mid-Cities Flyers in 1991/92)
- Dallas/Fort Worth Toros (1992–94, Indoor: 1991/92–92/93, 95/96, as Dallas Kickers in 1991/92, as Dallas Americans in 1992–1992/93)
- Dallas Lightning (1993–94, Indoor: 1993/94, 95/96, as Tyler Lightning in 1993, as Texas Lightning in 1993/94–1994)
- Delaware Wizards (1993–94)
- Des Moines Menace (1994)
- Detroit Wheels (1994–95)
- East Bay Red Riders (1992–93)
- East Los Angeles Cobras (1993–94)
- El Paso Patriots (1992–94)
- Florida Stars (1994)
- Fort Lauderdale Kicks (1994)
- Greensboro Dynamo (1993–94, Indoor: 1993/94)
- Gwinnett County Steamers (1992)
- Hampton Roads Hurricane (1994)
- Hawaii Tsunami (1994)
- Jacksonville Fury (1994–95)
- Jersey Dragons (1994)
- Kansas City All-Stars (Indoor: 1996/97)
- Knoxville Impact (Indoor: 1992/93–95/96)
- Las Vegas Quicksilver (1994)
- Lexington Bluegrass Bandits (1994)
- Lincoln Brigade (1997) (Indoor: 1996, 1997)
- Long Island Rough Riders (1994)
- Louisville Thoroughbreds (1994)
- Lubbock Lazers (Indoor: 1991/92–92/93, as Lubbock Tornado in 1991/92)
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- Memphis Jackals (1992–94, Indoor: 1991/92, as Memphis Survivors in 1991/92, as Memphis United Express in 1992)
- Mesquite Kickers (Indoor: 1994/95–96/97)
- Michigan Madness (1996)
- Milwaukee Rampage (1994)
- Minnesota Thunder (1994)
- Montclair Standard Falcons (1993–94)
- Myrtle Beach Boyz (1995)
- Nashville Metros (1992–94, Indoor: 1991/92–93/94)
- New Mexico Chiles (1994)
- New Orleans Storm (1993-1997 as Riverboat Gamblers, 1998-1999 as Storm)
- New York Fever (1994)
- North Bay Breakers (1992–94)
- North Jersey Imperials (1994)
- Ohio Xoggz (1994–96, as Columbus Xoggz in 1994–95)
- Oklahoma City Slickers (1993-1996, as Oklahoma City Heat in 1996)
- Oklahoma City Warriors (1992–93, Indoor: 1991/92–92/93)
- Oklahoma City Warriors (Indoor: 1996/97–97/98, as Oklahoma City Alliance in 1996/97)
- Omaha Flames (1996–1997, Indoor: 1996–98)
- Orlando Lions (1992–94, Indoor: 1993/94–95/96)
- Permian Basin Mirage (Indoor: 1991/92)
- Philadelphia Freedom (1994, Indoor: 1995/96–96/97, as Pennsylvania Freedom in 1994–1995/96)
- Raleigh Flyers (1993–94)
- Reading Rage (Indoor: 1995/96)
- Reno Rattlers (1994)
- Richmond Kickers (1993–94, Indoor: 1993/94)
- Rockford Raptors (1994)
- St. Louis Knights (1994)
- San Antonio Pumas (1992–1994, Indoor: 1991/92–92/93, as San Antonio Generals in 1991/92-92/93)
- San Diego Top Guns (1994)
- San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles (1993–94)
- San Francisco United All Blacks (1992–94, as San Francisco All Blacks in 1992)
- San Francisco Bay Diablos (1993–94)
- San Jose Hawks (1993)
- Santa Cruz Surf (1993–94)
- Shasta Scorchers (1994)
- Silicon Valley Firebirds (1992–94, as Palo Alto Firebirds in 1992)
- Sioux City Breeze (1994)
- South Florida Flamingos (1994)
- Texas Arsenal (Indoor: 1992/93–93/94, as Texas Stampede in 1992/93)
- Toledo Twisters (Indoor: 1993/94)
- Tucson Amigos (1992–94, Indoor: 1991/92–92/93)
- Tulsa Renegades (Indoor: 1991/92, )
- Tulsa Roughnecks (1993–99, Indoor: 1993/94–97/98, as Green County Roughnecks in 1999)
- Richmond Kickers (1997/98)
- Washington Mustangs (1994)
- Wichita Blue (1995–96, 1999, as Wichita Blue Angels in 1994)
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Champions
Indoor seasons
The USL began operations in 1986 as the Southwest Indoor Soccer League, a semi-professional indoor league. The league quickly expanded and added an outdoor season in 1989. In 1991, the league renamed itself the United States Interregional Soccer League. By then, the outdoor league overshadowed the indoor league which continued to slowly dwindle in importance. By the 1997–98 season, only five teams remained indoors while the outdoor season had over a hundred teams divided into a three-division structure. This led the league to stop running an indoor league.
In 2010, the USL began to consider relaunching an indoor season. However, it decided instead to take over operations of the Major Indoor Soccer League; beginning indoor operations in 2011. The champions were determined by a single games in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998. The champions were determined by a best of three series in 1998 and a best of five series in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and a home-and-home series in 2012 and 2013.
Outdoor seasons 1989–2010
In 1989, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League added a summer, outdoor season known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League. In 1990, the league dropped both "indoor" and "outdoor" from its name as it ran both a semi-professional indoor and outdoor season. By 1995, the outdoor season had grown to such a size that the USISL, as it was known at the time, split the league into two levels, the aptly named, fully professional Professional League and the semi-professional Premier League. In 1996, the USISL added a third, higher, Select League. This was formed from the strongest teams from both the Professional and Premier League. The Select League, along with the competing A-League, both received official Division II status from FIFA. However, the A-League was in decline while the USISL was expanding. Therefore, in 1997, the A-League ceased operations and merged into the USISL Select League which was renamed the USISL A-League. From that point, the USL's three-level structure remained stable until 2010. Some teams left to start the North American Soccer League and the First and Second Divisions were merged to become the USL Professional Division.
Outdoor seasons 2011–present
W-League seasons 1995–2015
References
External links
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