NASL Confident of Sanctioning at November USSF Board Meeting
Both USSF CEO/Secretary General Dan Flynn and NASL Commissioner David Downs feel positive about progress toward NASL sanctioning for 2012.
The sanctioning of the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 2011 season was an eventful process. For those on the outside looking in, it may have looked a bit more like a soap opera. The league was provisionally sanctioned at the November board meeting of the USSF. Soon after that, sanctioning was revoked when the USSF was unhappy with the compliance of certain requirements by the NASL. Finally, the board narrowly approved the NASL again in February but only provisionally.
From a fan’s perspective the NASL’s first year has gone relatively smoothly. Particularly with the short time frame the league and its teams had to prepare for the season, which was just 2 short months after they were approved to play by the USSF Board of Directors.
The regular season has now been completed and 6 of the 8 teams in the league head for the playoffs which start this weekend. As with all sporting leagues, when one season ends it’s already time to start planning for the next.
Several weeks ago IMS staff writer Gerry Wittmann spoke to USSF Secretary General and CEO Dan Flynn in an exclusive interview. Wittmann asked Flynn about the sanction process for the NASL for 2012.
“We are actually going to talk here next week,” said Flynn speaking to Wittmann on September 7th. “We’re going to meet with both the leagues (USL PRO and NASL). We’ll see what their views are moving forward and right now it’s worked well this year.”
“But minor league soccer is challenging. … I think we’ve made great strides and I think we have in minor league soccer as well. But there are some unique challenges on the stability front that hopefully we could shore up. We would set ourselves on another step forward if we could do that.”
Flynn also spoke of the prolonged sanctioning process last year which he hoped would be taken care of much earlier this year.
“It’s a board decision and the process and the time frames are in place. We had a lot going on in ’10 with the bid and a lot of other things. That’s no excuse but I think we are probably a little bit further ahead. And their seasons start in April so you’d like to get that decision behind you no later than November. You’d prefer to have it now, right? Just so you can be in markets and moving forward. But they need to get the year under their belt and see what their business model looks like.”
“We’re anxious to talk to them next week and we have a real positive feeling about it right now,” concluded Flynn.
On Monday NASL Commissioner David Downs confirmed the meeting with USSF the week of September 12th. He also echoed Flynn’s statements that things are moving forward in a positive direction for 2012 sanctioning.
“We are in constant dialog with the US Soccer Federation to continue the process,” said Downs by phone. “I believe at this point we will have everything resolved for 2012 by the next USSF board meeting which will take place at MLS Cup final in November. We are on a pace for that.”
“We are very pleased with the interaction we are having with US Soccer including what they feel we need to do to prove to them that we will be back in business next year.”
Comments are closed.
As an unbiased observed of soccer in the United States, I thought the NASL did a great job operating a first-class league this past year. Did they make mistakes? Yes. Could some things have been done better? Yes. Notwithstanding their shortcomings, I though the NASL was responsive to fans, has learned a great deal and have implemented policies to make next years season even better.
My highlights of the season were:
1) NASL logos on all kits
2) First-class NASL match balls
3) Team stability–no teams dropped out mid season like in other leagues
4) The league bringing in new teams to the fold–can’t wait to see San Antonio in 2012
…and the best thing about the recent season is…
The NSC MN Stars “relegating” the Montreal Impact. Come on you Stars!
Soccer Boy 2011 NASL Season Highlights:
“3) Team stability–no teams dropped out mid season like in other leagues”.
Come on’. That just made the league BORRRRRING! There wasn’t enough “drama”. Had they had a few teams drop out after only a month or so of play then that would have made the NASL “the most sophisticated professional soccer league below MLS”.
“4) The league bringing in new teams to fold–can’t wait to see San Antonio in 2012″
Helped make your post a bit more realistic. Hey the NASL may very well be on its way to becoming more “sophisticated” like USLPRO after all…
With danger of bringing things off topic and I would like to keep this discussion positive and on the NASL, however…
http://misl.uslsoccer.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2:gp::73291+L3/Display+E+NDX+NDX+567258
^Hey. It’s the “most sophisticated” indoor soccer league in Northern North America.
They tried to throw a franchise together like Wilt did last year.
He’s Peter Wilt.
The other folks weren’t.
Peter Wilt’s got it like that, the other folks clearly don’t got it like that.
If Wilt didn’t think that he could do make another season of indoor soccer work in the Chi-town area then the other Chicago people, Econo and MISL/I-League honchos were being utterly delusional.
Pass the dutchie ‘pon de left hand side…
Sorry. is that too negative and off topic.
That particular USL product is Econo’s baby.
The wors “smoke & mirrors” come to mind…
I would be very surprised if NASL is not sanctioned, at least on a continued probationary basis, for the 2012 season. However, be aware that all that glitters is not gold and while the water may seem calm on surface, there is a lot of churning below that surface.
I am not up to speed on MISL, and while I did notice the announcement, I am not sure if that hinders or helps the upcoming season for that league.
I would agree with your statement Bart as most I think would. We all know they still need to continue to expand their markets, get rid of the currently league owned and Traffic owned teams and get more butts in the seats if they are going to make it as teams and collectively as a league.
As to MISL and USL, I don’t think this will really do much to hinder the upcoming season. It just feels a bit like last year with PR teams in USL PRO – getting the cart before the horse. Why even announce if you are not absolutely sure the team has the financial backing to secure a place to play.
Anyone who is familiar with MISL and the Chicago team last year and then the new one this year would not be surprised by this at all.
Have there been any legitimate talks of teams switching leagues again?
@Luis: I haven’t heard any. Have you? If you have–no matter how nonsensical it might be , please stir the pot, Bro.
I think the league made good strides this year coming out of the gates and getting themselves set up. They made a very nice hiring for commissioner by all accounts. That said though, I’m still waiting to see some kind of good-for-the-league production out of him. Maybe whatever he’s been doing so far has been behind the scenes. But given the nature of the beast at this level, we need to see positives to build confidence that this thing can hold together long enough for the NASL to gather enough strong markets to survive longer term. Whether it’s through expansion or possibly some D3 teams feeling their operation is strong enough and the NASL is stable enough for them to come in.
The league stopped posting the attendance averages which is annoying. I’m wondering at the comparison for the returning D2 teams from last year to this year. I’d guess we’re probably split on teams being up and teams being down. As BQ said, attendance is the bottom line. Everything builds off of it.
Offseason goals I’d like to see them address include doing a better job of helping teams with their marketing; improve the game stream quality online; help Tampa to acquire the Rowdies name; find an investor to divest Traffic of it’s majority share in at least one of their three teams; if you don’t have any new expansion markets ready to announce, at least let us know yo’re working in this area as it’s not too long before the USSF standards require the league to have more teams.
@yankiboy – The Miami Ultras, one of the two main Strikers supporters groups, has a blogtalk radio program on every Monday night. Last night they had on someone from one of the Orlando City supporters groups talking about the epic possibilities of a three-way derby between the Strikers, Rowdies, and Lions. This is an idea that would benefit all three teams for certain. They talked about putting some pressure on the Orlando ownership to at least consider the idea. Don’t know that that and $3 would get you anything more than a bag o’ chips, but hey, it’s something that would never happen for sure if no one planted the seed of the idea with Rawlins and Co. I mean, if you are going to move your team to the state of Florida to play pro soccer, why on earth would you not want to play in the same league as Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale? Just makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways I’ve laid out before.
If I were the league, given what I saw on Saturday in St. Petersberg, I would have stopped posting the attendance as well.
Tampa had every chance to acquire or license the name, but the vineyard pressing hoarders were not interested in spending that kind of cash.
Logically, the best team for Traffic to divest itself of would be the Strikers. @Strikers Return, given your vast belief in the club, why don’t you put a syndicate together and make the buy? You assure yourself of immortality, and Traffic now only has to find two other smart investors like yourself.
Nothing works better than Other People’s Money, just ask Gordon Hartman…..
Let’s just be clear, excluding the NASL teams from the US Open Cup was a Multiple Expletive joke.
Bart-
I love your critique of the vineyard pressing hoarders, seriously.
I am still hearing rumors they haven’t paid league dues.
Shoulda got your ducks in a row before USSF (uncharacteristically) drew up the format early for once.
The NASL did a lot of things right this year:
- The website has game archives, a central streaming hub, stats, schedule, etc.
- The league was stable.
- The level of play was good and there was relative parity between the teams.
- Most team had better attendance numbers (except Tampa? and Montréal (but who cares about Montreal’s numbers?)).
- It was way easier to find news about the league.
- The quality of the streamed matches was a bit better.
I know, there’s still work to do, but this year was probably the one for which the second division league professionalism was at its best.
The NASL has fertile ground in which to look without running up against the USL. In order to be successful this edition of the NASL must do what its namesake did after the 1969 season and keep from being a regional league in the Southeast. There are plenty of soccer towns out there that would embrace Div 2 soccer: Milwaukee, San Diego and Buffalo are three that come to mind quickly; and that’s without even considering other options in Canada.
While FC Edmonton struggled at the gate you must consider their home field is a temporary solution while ownership get a new stadium built. Foote Field is not a good venue for players or fans, although the reserved seating is close to the field, general admission is far from the field. With the added challenge of an out of the way location with limited parking (albeit free), one starts to understand the challenges FCE faced in their first year. On the bright side, a playoff appearance and a fifth place finish has to be considered a pleasant surprise. Maybe with a provincial rival in Calgary things might improve. It also has to be appreciated that between Edmonton and Puerto Rico, they had the busiest travel schedules in the league.
The key to the long-term success of the league will be at least 12 teams in two conferences with increased regional play to reduce travel costs and increase rivalries. In addition to Ottawa in 2013 or 2014, a third Canadian team is a must, especially considering MLS will not be adding any more teams in Canada. Expansion into the Midwest will also help Minnesota, perhaps Detroit along with Milwaukee could provide the basis for some good rivalries, even better if someone in St Louis could get things going there.
I am also thinking that a one-up, one-down relegation between USL Pro might work, having Atlanta and Orlando switch leagues might be beneficial for both clubs and both leagues.
Just thinking.
@Ken Jamieson: Wow. You are a “glass-half-full” sort of guy. We need you around to help offset my cynicism.
At this point, I can’t imaging NASL making it to twelve stable franchises, and I certainly can’t anticipate cooperation between the NASL and USL for any sort of promotion/relegation.
There is a greater liklihood of promotion/relegation between MLS and the Bundesliga than there is an cooperation between NASL and USL.
Before this season, the NASL “owners” (whoops, that might mean Davidson/Traffic and Saputo) corporately made a decision to not allow any NASL player to be temporarily borrowed by USL, as that “might make USL a better league”. As one can determine from some end of season player moves, USL did not make the same decision.
There are children, and then there are immature children. And then way below that, are the NASL owners.
While your first and second statement (without the commentary) may be accurate, I don’t know if the third statement is: “As one can determine from some end of season player moves, USL did not make the same decision.”
What end of season moves are you talking about?
Bart cracks me up.
He kind of reminds me of Pavlov’s dog. For one it was the ring of a bell and for the other it is reading certain words (NASL-USL). For both there is/was an immediate reaction.
I do admire people with passion, conviction, and consistency though.
@BQ – Didn’t the Stars sign the guy who was the USL ROY? Maybe that’s what Bart is referring to. I know the Strikers didn’t sign any USL players, but then you wouldn’t expect that. Does he have a point about Traffic and Saputo going out of their way not to bother with loaning players to USL? Maybe. Just because it didn’t happen doesn’t mean it was simply a matter of those clubs saying, “No way in hell we’re loaning any players down there, no matter what!” I’d like to see a quoted source on that if Bart is going to push it as anything other than his obviously biased opinion.
I for one am FAR more entertained by yankiboy’s constant reminders of just who is “the most sophisticated soccer league below MLS.” LMAO
@yankiboy – I’ll have to disagree with you slightly on there being 12 markets that would be stable enough to play long term in the NASL. Currently we certainly don’t have 12 in the NASL, but I think there are certainly 12, and probably more, markets that could support D2 clubs sufficiently. Getting them all in the NASL together at the same time and under the proper circumstances….well, that’s another matter entirely.
I have been told by several sources that the NASL did indeed make a decision last winter not to allow any teams to loan a player to a USL team and would not take loaned players from the USL. Bart is correct and yes, a very silly decision indeed.
Overall both sides have just stuck to their own business this year and that is a good thing. But some of this stuff continues to linger over to both the USL and the NASL. Get on with it boys!
The two players the Stars signed were from Rochester and Wilmington and they were both out of contract meaning they were basically free agents to sign with whomever. This is what cleared the players to sign with an NASL team.
@Strikers Return
Now there you have it….from the Good Lord’s mouth to BQ’s ear…..as the song goes:
….” OOOPS NASL Did It Again”…
And yes, it was silly and immature.
@BQ – The problem is that there is still this mentality of competition between the leagues, when there should no longer be. When both were battling for D2 last year, that was one thing. But the standards came out, NASL went ahead, and USL said no thanks, we’ll self-relegate are D2 teams and add them to our D3 league. That should have meant no more competition. The structure is in place, and everyone needs to grow up and focus on themselves. NASL saying we’re not going to loan out or bring in loaned players from USL Pro is just self-defeating. It in no way helps you. It might not hurt you, but it’s a dumb idea. And USL Pro with their absolutely absurd “we’re the most sophisticated league beneath MLS” BS is just as dumb. It’s egging on the NASL to do stuff like they did. Lower level soccer is hard enough in and of itself, but when you’ve got D2 and D3 fighting like school kids, it makes it even harder.
Ideally what should happen is these leagues should come together, and design operations that compliment one another, not compete with one another. Orlando should not be in D3. It’s like Texas leaving the Big 12 to go play in the Sun Belt conference. It’s just not what should be happening. The bigger clubs should WANT to play at their proper level. We should want to have a pyramid that looks and runs like it does in the soccer power countries all over the world. I understand that every club is always going to take a me-first approach to operating, but it doesn’t mean it should be completely closed off to a big picture view as well.
What we need is for MLS to decide if they’re going to stop at 20, or if their long term plan is 24, or whatever. Make a decision. After that we’ll know where D1 will lock, and then the focus for markets who want pro soccer can decide if D2 or D3 or right for them. Or heck, even D4. Once MLS is stabilized with its teams, the other steps on the pyramid can start to fill in more stably, if it’s possible.
I don’t see how you can expect teams to afford transcontinental travel when 5k/game may be an unrealistic goal for an attendance average next season. NASL desperately needs enough teams to have conferences.
In regards to sanctioning, maybe that would help land them a tv deal to help fill some of the league’s holes. MLS is leaving FSC, so who knows.
Jim,
Sounds as if you might be a newcomer to IMS. Either way thanks for the comment.
We have covered the whole Division 2 Division 3 TV contracts here before. USL pays a great deal of money to have their games broadcasted on FOX Soccer. Honestly, there is little interest in regular TV network coverage of these leagues. Even Commissioner Downs said as much in an interview with me last spring.
If you were to make regional conferences than perhaps a regional affiliate like FOX Sports North might, just might be interested in picking up a game of the week. But even that is a tough sell right now. Local TV contracts are a bit more of a reality but as in the case of the Twin Cities it’s doubtful with all the other Major League sports here. So it really depends on the market.
The teams need to start getting butts in the seats before they can concern themselves with TV contracts.
@Strikers Return
Well written. However Texas A&M left to join the SEC, and according to the Rice supporters, this raised the IQ of both conferences.
Orlando made a decision to be profitable. Each Owner has to make their own decision. For that matter, one could argue that Minnesota, Atlanta and Tampa should be in USL Pro, given their fan numbers.
Something that no one has thought of is the question of whether Traffic will continue to bankroll the Railhawks and Silverbacks. Unless I have missed something (which very well may be true, since I don’t post to BS or look at too much soccer news that much any more), both the ‘Hawks and ‘Backs still need their own ownership. It would concern me that Traffic might dump one, or both teams, and they could possibly fold, putting the entire league in jeopardy. Atlanta was brought in at the last minute to insure there would be a league; with San Antonio coming in, they’d still have eight teams if either Atlanta or Carolina were dropped. I know the ‘Backs did much better attendance-wise than they have in a long time, but I wonder if it will be viable for Traffic to keep them on the dole.
Not trying to be a “Negative Nancy,” but again, unless I’ve missed something (which again, is likely), nothing has been said about Traffic’s involvement in either Atlanta or Cary. Just something to talk about around the hot stove league this winter.
It has been discussed a great deal. It’s actually 3-teams. Ft. Lauderdale, Carolina and Atlanta, plus they are helping to support Minnesota as are the rest of the teams. Bottom line is the league needs 8 teams. Montreal is now gone and San Antonio joins next season. That is still 8 and USSF wants the league to expand under their DII guidelines they made last season. So if they were to have under 8 I’m pretty sure the USSF would not approve them for sanctioning.
So no, this is not an issue. The issue is, whether Traffic will continue to put money into this league. There has been event which I hope to write about soon that will throw some concern into the matter.
@BQ – Trying to be patient awaiting your story on these events surrounding Traffic…..