United Soccer League

United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the USL Championship, USL League One, USL League Two, and the youth Super Y League. A new women's league, the USL W League, began play in 2022. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. History Year by year 1986 – The original USL is established as the Southwest Indoor Soccer League. 1989 – An outdoor league, known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League is added. 1990 – The indoor and outdoor leagues merge, becoming the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League. 1991 – The SISL is renamed the United States Interregional Soccer League. 1995 – The USISL is renamed the United States International Soccer League. Later that year, the USISL is renamed United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues and formally establishes professional Pro League and amateur Premier Development League. The USL W-League women's semi-pro league is also launched. 1996 – Select League is established 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 merge to form A-League under the USISL umbrella. 1999 – Umbrella USISL changes 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. The United Soccer League becomes a division in the temporary USSF Division 2 league, due to a dispute between the NASL and the USL over Division 2 status. 2010 – The USL announce the formation of USL Pro, which merged the USL First Division and USL Second Division. 2011 – The Inaugural season of USL Pro is held.