How Much Money Is Wasted On All These Leagues?

 

 

 

This great graphic from Evan Wiseman on Twitter today got me started on this subject again.  

 

The fact that we have multiple competing leagues, both national and regional, spread across all parts of the United States makes running a lower division club in the United States much more expensive than it needs to be.

The new and exciting Midwest Premier League has 12 teams across this Midwest/Great Lakes region of the country.  Five other national amateur leagues also have 21 more teams in this area of the country.

There are 33 teams in these across this region... they all don't play each other... they drive past each other... stay in hotel rooms hours beyond closer competition... don't create rivalries against near by opponents... 

NPSL Midwest Conference

Carpathia FC - 

FC Indiana - 

Fort Wayne FC - 

Kalamazoo FC - 

Muskegon Risers - 

Toledo Villa FC - 

NPSL North Conference

FC Milwaukee Torrent -

LC Aris FC -

USL2 Great Lakes Division

AFC Ann Arbor -

Flint City Bucks -

Grand Rapids FC -

Oakland County FC -

South Bend Lions -

USL2 Heartland Division

Chicago FC United -

Des Moines Menace -

Peoria City -

 

UPSL Midwest Conference East

Bafana United FC -

City United FC -  

Detroit United FC - 

Rebels FC - 

Wayne County Sporting - 

 

There are state and local leagues all across this region as well containing dozens and dozens (if not hundreds) of other teams at a lower level of local play. Just the other day I wrote an article about the thousands of youth clubs there are in the United States and their drive to create a "first team" experience for their players. We are currently holding back the growth of existing clubs and the inclusion of many new clubs by this disjointed system that we call lower division soccer in the United States.

The increased travel costs that these clubs have because of the fractured nature of lower division soccer puts a giant burden on them that doesn't need to be there. Many of these leagues charge really large franchise fees for exclusive control of "markets". Many of these leagues charge very high yearly league fees just to maintain membership. So much money is wasted on travel, franchise fees, and high league fees... it is as simple as that. It is wasted.

Nothing about how this system works is designed to help the clubs grow, help players develop, fans express their fandom, or "grow the game" of soccer in the United States. This system is delivering exactly what it is designed to deliver. 

Control and profits for gatekeepers. 

Which system would offer a more stable and cost effective environment for clubs to develop in? One that currently could feature 33 teams in the region or a hodgepodge of teams across 5 leagues plus a 12 team Midwest Premier League ?

I think we all know the answer is a unified pyramid. 

There is so much more to "promotion and relegation" than just moving teams up and down the pyramid... it is about creating a rock solid foundation for our small community clubs to exist in. It is about lowering costs for these smallest clubs. It is about allowing fans to enjoy local rivalries. It is about engaging every single fan in every single community with the dream. 

Unification of the pyramid will allow these small local (and quite often fledgling) clubs to invest in their clubs instead of hotel rooms a 10 hour bus ride away.