Peter Wilt, founder of the Chicago Fire and de facto ruler of lower division soccer in America, announced his intention to form a new NASL-affiliated Division 3 league earlier in the year. Those plans now seem to be reaching fruition.
Wilt announced that the National Independent Soccer Association would launch in 2018 in an interview with Midfield Press. Wilt states that the league has 10 letters of intent, guaranteeing those ownership groups exclusivity in their markets, with an anticipated 8-10 teams expected to compete in the Spring. The league, which will be affiliated with the NASL and NPSL, will seek sanctioning this summer from U.S. Soccer.
Wilt described the league as having four main pillars: Affordable pro-division soccer with regional based competition, an independent league with owners controlling their markets and intellectual property, incorporating promotion and relegation once the league reached its targeted 24 teams, and having a strong league office.
The most notable of these pillars, of course, is the anticipated incorporation of a three-tier promotion/relegation system with the NASL and NPSL, something never before done in American soccer. The league would be in direct competition, and would beat to launch, the already-announced USL D3 league set to begin in 2019. Wilt has stated that he expects to lead the league as Commissioner upon launch.
As Division 2 is still up for grabs between the NASL and USL, it looks like both will be continuing their battle for lower-division supremacy into Division 3.
NASL almost collapses last off season so what do they focus their efforts on this year? Starting a new league of course!!!
The regional based competition sounds good, but how does that work if you stop at 24 teams? The USL already has that covered in theory given they have much more than 30 teams already, no? Are they going to have six divisions of 4 teams that only play each other? Very interested to see how they actually try to execute this
See, this is why I have a love/hate relationship with American soccer.
Seriously.
How about P Dub just focus on keeping the NASL afloat? That would be a wonderful accomplishment. It really would.
But oh, no! Let’s just take on another daunting challenge.
Good luck with that. I hope it works (I’m not going to bet my mortgage on it though).
I can appreciate the ambition, but this really sounds like they are setting themselves up to fail.
So when the Cosmos get relegated down to NISA all the pro-rel people will feel vindicated right?
Great – more confusion about lower level soccer in the US and unnecessary competition. There are going to be more minor leagues in soccer than hockey.