If at First You Don't Succeed: US Soccer to Launch New Women's Pro League

In the spring of 2013, a US-based professional women's soccer league will launch with eight teams. This latest, greatest step in the search for the strategic blueprint for a sustainable women's professional soccer league is being led by US Soccer, in collaboration with the soccer governing bodies in both Canada and Mexico. 

The still-to-be-named league follows two previous failed efforts by the WUSA (2001-2003) and the WPS (2009-2011), each having survived just three seasons. Both leagues ended in financial peril, unable to match expenses to what the market was bringing in. The new league seems to have taken the lessons from the past to inform the new strategy, an innovative model combining funding from federations and team ownership.

Economic Model
The economic model of the new league suggests that it will have a better chance of surviving. How? A limited number of player salaries will be financed by US Soccer (up to 24 players), the Canadian Soccer Association (up to 16 players) and the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol Asociacion (up to 12 players). That means there could be up to seven of the top players on each roster that are subsidized by the federations. This model relieves significant expenses for each of the teams allowing for team investments to be more conservative. US Soccer will act as the league's front office, playing a key role in organizing and running the league with a focus on sustainability, while eliminating almost all of the capital contributions normally needed to set up a functioning league office.

Parity
A tight eight team league avoids the possibility of talent dilution, allowing for robust rosters full of talent. Meanwhile, allocation of national team players across the teams should ensure a competitive balance. The player allocation and draft process has not yet been communicated by the league.
 
Founding Teams
The founding teams will be in Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Western New York, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle and Washington. Four of the eight teams are former WPS teams with established fan bases and a history in pro soccer (Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Western New York Flash and NJ Sky Blue FC).  DC United comes from the W-League (semi-pro) and is being repackaged into a new brand. The remaining three (Portland, Seattle, Kansas City) are essentially being built from ground zero. Portland is the only team with MLS ties, with the investor group led by the Paulson Family.

Player Development
Also at the core of the new league are long-term player development goals. With the next Women's World Cup being hosted in Canada, the CSA is keen to capitalize on the strong 2012 Olympic bronze medal performance to stage a world-class performance at home in 2015. The FMF is looking to build on the great strides recently made to build its CONCACAF prowess, most significantly beating the USWNT in the last qualifying for the WWC 2011. A quality league is a vehicle for players to play daily, to play in different environments and the opportunity to be identified by national team programs. Also, the cooperation among the three federations allows for greater coordination of national team residency programming and ultimately access to players.

Schedule
Schedule is planned to run from March/April to September/October - and still to be confirmed. It will be interesting to see if there is an impact of running alongside the MLS schedule, especially for those teams sharing cities with MLS teams. The end of the women's pro season will run in to the start of the NCAA season.

Budgets
Team budgets and salary caps have yet to be firmly established, according to US Soccer.

Stadiums
Match venues will be on a smaller scale than previous leagues, according to Michael Stoller Boston Breakers Managing Partner, in order to save game day costs. The exception here will be the Portland team which would likely play at the home of the MLS Timbers FC, leveraging the existing infrastructure.

With three national federations leading the stewardship of the league and a guiding philosophy of "less hype, better performance"*, women's soccer players and fans in the US have reason to be optimistic that there will be a place to play and watch the women's pro game next year, 5 years and 20 years from now. Yet there are still many details to be discovered such as the league name, draft plans, TV rights and national sponsors, and if national team players will still decide to go to leagues overseas.

Stay tuned.

Source: *US Soccer.

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