The United Soccer League announced USL Premier as the official name of its planned Division One men’s league and unveiled a new men’s structure built around a connected three-tier pathway.
In its release, USL said USL Premier (Division One) is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will operate as a single national table, with a long-term target of 20 clubs. USL added that USL Championship (Division Two) will also operate as a single national table with 20 clubs, and USL League One (Division Three) will continue to grow nationally while organizing competition regionally.
USL’s announcement explicitly ties that structure to promotion and relegation. The league said that as the new structure takes shape alongside the launch of USL Premier, it will introduce “America’s first promotion and relegation system,” creating a merit-based pathway between its men’s professional divisions.
USL has also previously stated that a supermajority of club owners voted to implement promotion and relegation, describing it as part of an interconnected three-tier men’s system. In that March 2025 announcement, USL noted that, under U.S. Soccer sanctioning standards, Division One is the highest level of professional soccer in the United States.
USL said it is currently reviewing applications from clubs interested in competing in USL Premier and will announce the league’s inaugural members later. The release also stated that Tony Scholes, the current Chief Football Officer of the English Premier League, will join USL Premier as President after completing his responsibilities in England this summer.
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