USL’s divisional sanctioning remains unclear

Image credit: USL

While the NASL lawsuit appeal rolls on, US Soccer finds itself in a situation where, for a second year running, it starts the calendar year without a sanctioned second division. Unlike the NASL, USL has continued to make expansion announcements and USL teams have diligently continued to rebuild their respective squads.

Yet, it is important to remember that the USL is not currently a sanctioned second division for the 2018 season.

Soc Takes understands that the status of the USL as a Division II league has not been discussed by the US Soccer board since the second week of October. Per information provided to Soc Takes, during a phone call a few days after the now-infamous Oct. 10 Trinidad game, US Soccer president Sunil Gulati informed the US Soccer board that the USL had submitted their paperwork within the thirty-day deadline.

Gulati also informed the board that a consultant had been hired to look over the submitted documents and would provide the board with advice regarding whether or not USL had met requirements.

(Note: The USSF had previously given the USL thirty days to address or to provide plans to address multiple waivers in their application for Division II status.)

However, there have been no further USSF board discussions regarding the status of the USL’s application since that time.

The US soccer board is scheduled to meet on Jan. 14 in New York and then again during the AGM in Orlando in February, and perhaps a discussion will be had during those meetings. It is important to note that if a decision is made in a few weeks, it would mean the USL’s DII sanctioning will be delayed further. The USL was awarded co-DII sanction on Jan. 6 last year.

As of this morning (Jan. 2) per multiple sources associated with the USL, the league has not been given updates about sanctioning.

Soc Takes reached out to US Soccer for comment on the USL’s sanctioning. A US Soccer media representative confirmed that it will be discussed during Jan. 14’s USSF board meeting.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

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