North Carolina F.C. supporters celebrate a goal at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Photo: Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The United Soccer League — the professional league that North Carolina FC plays in — voted this month to introduce promotion and relegation by 2028 as they prepare to launch a new top-tier soccer league.
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, Axios' Ashley Mahoney writes. Teams that perform poorly will face relegation to a lower league.
Context: Last month the USL announced plans to launch a Division One league in 2027-28. It is intended to rival Major League Soccer as the top tier for the men's game in the U.S.
USL currently has two existing leagues: USL Championship (second division) and USL League One (third Division).
NCFC, which plays its home games at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, currently plays in the USL Championship.
How it works: When USL Division One launches in 2028 it would create a pyramid structure for promotions and relegations, with the existing USL Championship being the second division and USL League One being the third division.
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.
