Promotion, relegation coming to Indy Eleven's league
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Photo: Justin Casterline/U.S. Soccer Federation/Getty Images for U.S. Soccer Federation
The United Soccer League is making moves to compete more directly with Major League Soccer, something the embattled Indy Eleven is using to bolster its case for remaining Indianapolis' sole professional soccer team.
The big picture: USL owners voted this week to introduce promotion and relegation by 2028 as they prepare to launch a new top-tier soccer league.
- The USL plans to launch a Division One league in 2027-28, intended to rival Major League Soccer as the top tier for the men's game in the U.S.
Why it matters: This is a huge move in the U.S. soccer landscape, rewarding teams that perform well with promotion to a higher league. Teams that perform poorly will face relegation to a lower league.
What they're saying: "This now provides Indy Eleven the opportunity to play at the top tier," the team said in a statement.
- The team also contends it has "continually met minimum criteria" to compete at the top tier, except for a U.S. Soccer Federation requirement to have a 15,000-plus-capacity stadium.
- "This is why the team has worked expeditiously on the pursuit of a 20,000+ stadium," the statement said.
Catch up quick: Indy Eleven's owner, Ersal Ozdemir, broke ground in 2023 on Eleven Park, a $1.5 billion mixed-use project along the White River that was supposed to include a 20,000-seat soccer stadium to serve as the team's new home.
- Last year, city officials announced they would pursue an MLS expansion bid without Ozdemir and the Indy Eleven — removing necessary support for Eleven Park in favor of a different stadium project on the east side of downtown.
The intrigue: While there were doubts about the viability of transitioning the Indy Eleven to the MLS, the new USL structure could give the city a Division One soccer team without having to court MLS and pay its exorbitant expansion fees.
How it works: With the existing USL Championship (second division) and USL League One (third division), USL Division One (first division) would create a pyramid structure for promotions and relegations.
- It is unclear what the exact layout for promotion and relegation will look like, such as the number of teams that will be promoted and relegated each season, or if there will be financial incentives for promotion.
Between the lines: Promotion and relegation is common outside the U.S., including in England's Premier League.
- If you're among the millions of people who watched "Ted Lasso" on Apple TV+, you've already been exposed to the concept.
Zoom out: MLS is the existing top-tier men's league in the U.S. It also has a third division league, MLS Next Pro, under its umbrella. MLS does not include promotion and relegation.
- Some fans have criticized MLS for not having promotion and relegation, Forbes reported.
- This isn't the first time the USL has launched a rival top-tier league. It launched its women's league, USL Super League, last summer.