USL owners come from many walks of life and varying levels of experience in professional sports. A select few own soccer clubs in Europe, and that subset is uniquely qualified to discuss the story on everyone’s mind: the introduction of promotion and relegation to the USL ecosystem.
The news was announced in March and was met with an enthusiastic reception. There are questions to answer in terms of league structure, timelines, and economics, but the promotion vote moved the needle like no other headline in the history of the American lower leagues.
What might the next phase in the USL’s growth look like, and what lessons can be taken from the English pyramid in particular?
In discussions with Backheeled, Brett Johnson (the co-founder of Rhode Island FC and an investor and director at the Premier League’s Ipswich Town) and Kevin Nagle (the minority owner of the Sacramento Republic and full shareholder in Huddersfield Town) expressed their hopes for the pro-rel future. Both owners, as their English club ties indicate, have first-hand experience with pro-rel.
