The USL is set to vote on whether or not to adopt promotion and relegation between its divisions, a source confirmed to ESPN.
The news was first reported by The Athletic.
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The USL — currently comprised of its Championship and League One — represents the second and third tiers of soccer in the United States behind MLS. The Athletic report adds that the USL would ideally add a third league to its ecosystem in the coming years to make pro/rel more enticing and that it could begin as soon as 2024 if passed.
The vote is expected to take place at the USL board of governors meeting from Aug. 9 – 11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to gauge the interest of USL owners in incorporating pro/rel into the league.
Promotion and relegation is the model used by leagues in nearly every country throughout the world, including England, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina, but the idea has been kept at arm’s length by MLS commissioner Don Garber.
The USL would be the first major sports league to employ promotion and relegation in the U.S. if approved.
ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle contributed to this story.
