United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer League was officially named what from 1999 to 2018?
United Soccer League United Soccer League ( USL ) , formerly known as United Soccer Leagues , is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States and Canada . It includes mens and womens leagues , both professional and amateur . Leagues currently organized are the USL Championship , USL League One , USL League Two and the youth Super Y League . It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association . The USL is headquartered in Tampa . History . Year by year . - 1986 Established as Southwest Indoor Soccer League - 1989 Added an outdoor league known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League . This was soon changed to Southwest Independent Soccer League which included both the indoor and outdoor leagues . - 1990 Renamed Sunbelt Independent Soccer League - 1991 Renamed United States Interregional Soccer League - 1995 Renamed United States International Soccer League - 1995 Renamed United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues and formally established professional Pro League and amateur Premier Development League - 1995 The USL W-League womens semi-pro league is launched . - 1996 Established Select League consisting of strongest teams from Division 3 Pro League and Amateur Premier League in hopes of gaining Division 2 sanctioning . - 1997 Select League and the former American Professional Soccer League merged to form A-League under the USISL umbrella . - 1999 Umbrella USISL changed its name to the United Soccer Leagues . - 2009 Nike sells organization to NuRock Soccer Holdings , LLC . As a result , nine clubs left the First Division to form the North American Soccer League : Atlanta Silverbacks , Carolina RailHawks FC , Miami FC , Minnesota Thunder , Montreal Impact , Rochester Rhinos , Tampa Bay Rowdies , Vancouver Whitecaps , and the AC St . Louis expansion group . United Soccer League was a division in the temporary USSF Division 2 league . - 2010 USL announced the formation of USL Pro , which merged the USL First Division and USL Second Division . - 2011 Inaugural season of USL Pro . - 2011 USL takes over operation of the Major Indoor Soccer League . - 2013 USL Pro and Major League Soccer announce a multi-year agreement , beginning that season , to integrate MLS Reserve League play with USL Pro teams , first through team affiliations and interleague play , eventually fully merging MLS Reserves into the USL Pro structure . - 2013 The W-20 League is launched , a youth league that is operationally aligned with the USL W-League . - 2015 USL Pro renamed United Soccer League - 2015 USL W-League and W-20 League cease operations . - 2017 USL is granted Provisional Division II status by U.S . Soccer . - 2017 USL creates USL Division III league and files for Division III status with U.S . Soccer . - 2018 USL announces re-branding of its top league to the USL Championship , USL Division III to USL League One , and the Premier Development League to USL League Two beginning with the 2019 season Narrative . Founded in 1985 by Francisco Marcos , the Southwest Indoor Soccer League was first intended as a minor indoor league associated with Major Indoor Soccer League . The league began with five teams , all owned by individuals who owned or operated indoor soccer arenas in the Southwest United States . League headquarters was in Austin , Texas . In 1986 , Marcos team , the Austin Sockadillos , entered the league giving it six teams . By 1989 , the league had set its sights on greater prospects than remaining a small , semi-professional indoor league . A 1989 press release stated , It is envisioned the league will be part of the USSFs plan to professionalize soccer in the USA prior to the 1994 World Cup , and the league plans to push its teams to be considered for the three-tiered first , second and third divisions plan the USSF envisions for soccer . Champions . Indoor seasons . The USL began operations in 1986 as the Southwest Indoor Soccer League , a semi-professional indoor league . The league quickly expanded and added an outdoor season in 1989 . In 1991 , the league renamed itself the United States Interregional Soccer League . By then , the outdoor league overshadowed the indoor league which continued to slowly dwindle in importance . By the 1997–98 season , only five teams remained indoors while the outdoor season had over a hundred teams divided into a three-division structure . This led the league to stop running an indoor league . In 2010 , the USL began to consider relaunching an indoor season . However , it decided instead to take over operations of the Major Indoor Soccer League ; beginning indoor operations in 2011 . The champions were determined by a single games in 1987 , 1988 , 1992 , 1993 , 1994 , 1995 , 1996 and 1998 . The champions were determined by a best of three series in 1998 and a best of five series in 1989 , 1990 and 1991 and a home-and-home series in 2012 and 2013 . Outdoor seasons 1989–2010 . In 1989 , the Southwest Indoor Soccer League added a summer , outdoor season known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League . In 1990 , the league dropped both indoor and outdoor from its name as it ran both a semi-professional indoor and outdoor season . By 1995 , the outdoor season had grown to such a size that the USISL , as it was known at the time , split the league into two levels , the aptly named , fully professional Professional League and the semi-professional Premier League . In 1996 , the USISL added a third , higher , Select League . This was formed from the strongest teams from both the Professional and Premier League . The Select League , along with the competing A-League , both received official Division II status from FIFA . However , the A-League was in decline while the USISL was expanding . Therefore , in 1997 , the A-League ceased operations and merged into the USISL Select League which was renamed the USISL A-League . From that point , the USLs three-level structure remained stable until 2010 . Some teams left to start the North American Soccer League and the First and Second Divisions were merged to become the USL Professional Division . Staff . - Rob Hoskins – chairman - Alec Papadakis – chief executive officer , managing partner - Jake Edwards – president - Justin Papadakis – chief operating officer - Court Jeske - executive vice president - Karen Gittens - chief financial officer - Steven Short – senior vice president , USL League One - Joel Nash – vice president , USL League Two & Super-Y League - Garrison Mason – vice president , general counsel - Lizzie Seedhouse – vice president , digital & content - Brad Baker – vice president of broadcasting - John Cochol – vice president , club services - Brett Luy – senior vice president , league operations - Gordon Bengtson – vice president , competition and technical development - Josh Keller – vice president , business development