“This Makes Zero Sense” – 10 Years After NWSL’s Inception, USL Announces a Rival Pro League, Leaving Fans Baffled

It has been more than 10 years since the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was founded. This followed a period that revolutionized the women’s game in the US. With the launch of the Equal Pay agreement, combined with increased interest in the women’s game, NWSL has continued to gain traction and grow. 

Now, with the soccer world continuing to shift dynamics in the US, the USL has announced a new women’s soccer league called USL Super League. This announcement has caused a stir amongst fans and has left many questions in its wake. Let’s first take a look at what exactly this new league is. 

A new rival for NWSL- USL SL

On Tuesday, the United Soccer League made a huge announcement and announced a new league named, USL Super League. The USL SL will be a first-division soccer league, mirroring the successful structure of the NWSL but with considerable changes.

The USL Super League will not have a draft system but instead will look to emulate the traditional European structure of a fall-to-summer schedule. The new league is set to start in August 2024 with 10-12 teams. This radical move means that for the first time since NWSL’s inception, there will be two soccer leagues for women in the U.S. 

The news has caused much chaos in the world of soccer, with some supporters questioning why the USL is launching a rival league when the NWSL is still in its infancy.

Fans have a confounded outlook on the new league

The NWSL has seen an increase in its viewership and attendance in recent times. However, the league still hasn’t had a chance to reach its full potential. This has raised curiosity amongst many fans on Instagram about why the USL would start up a new rival women’s league when the NWSL is still growing. 

This concern has been raised by hundreds of fans who are not so pleased with this decision. One fan perfectly summed up this with his comments. “Why? Shouldn’t we be supporting the league so many have worked hard to build, rather than splitting attention across two leagues? The NWSL is only *just* starting to get the attention it deserves,” the user said.

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One fan shared, “This makes zero sense …why not just grow the NWSL”. Another fan was left confused by this decision. “I really don’t know how I feel about this….” the user said. One fan raised a question, “Why not just expand the league we already got ?”

This ideology seemed to be a recurring theme among fans. As one fan added, NWSL needs to finish growing/laying the foundation first…” However, one fan gave an interesting takeby saying, “This should be the second division of the NWSL. If teams relegate, they would just play in the USL,” For now, the new USL Super League rests on the discussion table amongst passionate American soccer fans.

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The future of women’s soccer looks exciting, although many questions still remain unanswered. What are your thoughts on this new league? Let us know in the comments.