An Open Pyramid for US soccer is not about a competition format

The day you stop thinking of USSF as simply who puts together the US Men's and Women's National Teams and start to think of it as the regulatory agency tasked with one specific portion of the nations economy is the minute you see that #ProRelForUSA is about much more than a simple competition format.

Now that we are all thinking of  the USSF as a industry specific regulatory agency, we can see that the current USSF imposed regulatory environment has created glass ceilings that are restrictive concerning the growth potential for an entire group of entrepreneurs. On social media fans act like an Open Pyramid featuring #ProRelForUSA is just some gimmicky competition format... we know it is not... unfortunately much of our entrenched American soccer media has not done a good job making it clear that the closed system that we currently have is a barrier to growth for those outside of the privileged group of investors that are allowed entry in to the closed top tier.

It is as simple as that... no matter how much money, sweat, and ingenuity you invest in to growing your business, if you are not "in" with those in power then you can't fully expand as a business to the maximum the market will allow.

.@THEChrisKessell 3four3 would already have launched a 4th division club if glass ceilings weren't there.

— Gary Kleiban (@3four3) November 28, 2016

How many other investors are holding back investment because of this regulatory environment?

Now some big questions need asked...

Would this regulatory environment be allowed to exist in any other industry in the United States?

I think it is fair to say that it would not...

So why is this creating of artificial barriers to entry and glass ceilings on growth being allowed to exist in this industry by the regulatory agency (USSF)?

As myself and others have explored over the years there are severe conflict of interest issues at play concerning the USSF, MLS, and SUM.

We know MLS has for its entire existence created policy via USSF decisions that have hurt all clubs not a part of their singular business to ward off any potential competitors.


Knowing all of this, it is frustrating to see people actively root for the oppression of small business owners... people who dedicate their lives to their club... their fans... players... staff... the sport itself. To have them be rewarded daily with people, not just fans but many influential media members and sitting USSF board members, actively participating in their businesses nightmare of regulatory sabotage by the group that is tasked with growing the game at all levels even though a recent Deloitte study shows it would be best for the long term growth of the sport.

That's what you are doing when you support a closed system like we have now... you support the regulatory crisis that small business owners nationwide are trying to overcome. These people who have invested life savings in to their club... decades of their life... you are rooting for them to fail... it actually makes me sad to think of the toil that these 1000s of great people put in... and you choose to root for billionaires pocketbooks via a regulatory system 100% stacked in their favor.

Worries about USSF Conflict of Interest issues are not new.

Recently Stefen Szymanski and Roger Pielki Jr released a wonderful article about the Conflict Of Interest issues within USSF and the lack of external oversight on these potential conflicts.

READ IT HERE

While this current crop of COI issues concerning many of the non-profit USSF board members and their potentially self serving relationship with their for profit business ventures MLS and its Soccer United Marketing (SUM) marketing arm are alarming... concerns over Conflicts of Interest from USSF leadership are not new at all.

During the initial creation of MLS the Chicago Tribune reported that many inside and outside of USSF were concerned about the inherit COI issue between USSF President Alan Rothenberg and his self described substantial financial stake as an investor in MLS.

It is easy to understand why voices and eyebrows were raised over the process by which the U.S. Soccer Federation gave preliminary approval for one of the three plans it reviewed to start a top-flight pro league in the United States.

After all, the USSF's Board of Directors approved the plan submitted by its president, Los Angeles attorney Alan Rothenberg, likely to be an investor in the entity he calls Major League Professional Soccer, Inc.

The USSF also advanced Rothenberg a six-figure sum from the 1994 World Cup's expected surplus to help him develop the plan. Rothenberg is chairman, president and chief executive officer of the World Cup organizing committee.

And several of the directors who voted 18-5 to approve Rothenberg's plan are employed either by the USSF or World Cup '94.

The apparent and potential conflicts of interest in that situation dismayed members of the two competing groups, both of whom figured the deal was done long before the board voted last Sunday in Chicago.

"We were shocked and disappointed by the decision," said Bill De La Pena, president of the American Professional Soccer League, which wanted to move up from its minor-league status.

"People beholden to Alan were central to the decision," said Chicago businessman Jim Paglia, who wants to establish his League 1 America as part of a real estate development plan.

Another item that can easily be seen as a blatant lack of good governance caused by a COI is the fact that the USSF approved spending a very large chunk of money to support MLS's creation and did not receive an ownership stake in the league.

To that end, the USSF has pledged 30 percent of a World Cup surplus projected at $20-to-$25 million to start the league in 1995.

 But the man who helped push through MLS and his investment in the league as President of USSF did... 

READ FULL CHICAGO TRIBUNE ARTICLE FROM 1993 HERE


Looking back at these issues with the clarity that the lens of these current COI issues gives us we can see that these types of issue have been long standing and quite worrisome to many.

Another item that time has made apparent is that USSF leadership has not always picked wisely when it comes to allies. Sunil Gulati and USSF's relationship with Chuck Blazer has been documented quite well and with his fall from grace that relationship has come under some scrutiny.

Pairing Alan Rothenberg and his obvious USSF/MLS COI issues with what we now know about disgraced former FIFA President Joao Havelange and their relationship along the power play FIFA made to keep Rothenberg in power...we now have two USSF Presidents who have made very poor choices in who to align with.

Despite the success of the World Cup, which he helped organize, Rothenberg has been a controversial figure within the USSF during his four-year team. His current difficulty centers on Rothenberg's twin positions as president of the USSF and head of the proposed new professional league, Major League Soccer. Many within the USSF, particularly from the pro division, see this as a conflict of interest.

The pro vote, which delivered the election to Rothenberg in 1990, nearly cost him the presidency this time. The three voting blocks--professional, amateur and youth--split among the candidates. Only one of the four pro leagues voted for Rothenberg. His strength came from the amateur division and Groff took most of the pro vote and some of the youth.

Havelange's unprecedented attendance here has angered some delegates who resent FIFA's interference in the election. Most voters remember FIFA's support for Rothenberg's election in 1990. FIFA's role then consisted merely of a phone call to one presidential candidate, asking him to withdraw from the race.

FIFA's role in this election has been far more open. At a banquet Friday night, Havelange spoke for several minutes and lavished praise on Rothenberg, mentioning him by name some 16 times. On an evening that was meant to celebrate the sport of soccer in the United States, Havelange's nomination speech seemed out of place.

and

Earlier in the day, Havelange had summoned candidate Des Bordes to his hotel room. Speculation was that FIFA would request that Des Bordes, who had little chance to win, withdraw. Des Bordes would not reveal what was said but reiterated late Friday night that he was still in the race.

However, Des Bordes dropped out after the first ballot. Further fueling the FIFA-deal theory, apparently all of Des Bordes' delegates went over to Rothenberg on the second ballot.

Groff, for all of his conciliatory talk after the vote, was clearly angry with the FIFA influence on the outcome.

"FIFA is very insensitive to the operation of individuals with their constituents in the United States Soccer Federation," Groff said. "They didn't need to push so hard. FIFA is so scared to death that if Alan is not in front of MLS, it won't succeed.

"They took that one step further--if Alan is not president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, MLS won't succeed. It was all totally inappropriate."

READ THE FULL LA TIMES 1994 ARTICLE HERE


The calls for transparency and reform within USSF are becoming more frequent and louder.

If you agree that something needs to be done... check out this website

USSF REFORM

If you agree with any of the platform... sign the petition.

Thanks, but no thanks

Group calling for USSF reform to release platform

What is "#ProRelForUSA"?

Pretty simple question right?

Well... yes and no.

By now we all know the simple definition of what the competition format of "Promotion and Relegation" is... but #ProRelForUSA is much bigger than that. Our great friends at www.ProRelForUSA.com summed up what the movement is quite succinctly.

Open The Pyramid

We believe that soccer (football) clubs in the United States and Canada deserve the same opportunity as clubs in the rest of the world.

Per FIFA statutes, national federations throughout the world organize their professional divisions within open and fluid pyramids where the most competitive clubs rise to the top based principally on sporting merit. Through a system of promotion and relegation, the best-ranked teams in the lower division are promoted to the higher division for the next season, and the worst-ranked teams in the higher division are relegated to the lower division for the next season.

The United States, Canada, and Australia are the only federations in the entire world that have a closed and locked pyramid that suppress their member clubs and confine them to pre-defined classes. The continued deployment of such a system has residual effects throughout every level of soccer in our country.

It is our mission to drive positive change within the sport and our federation through a grassroots movement & awareness campaign that supports:

• “opening the pyramid”
• a logical roadmap for member clubs achieving sporting success
• inclusion of our entire country, regardless of geography or population
• providing development incentive for players, coaches, and clubs
• providing financial incentive for investment in the game at all levels
• development of the most competitive professional structure possible
• transparency of the United States Soccer Federation
• a strong and incorruptible governing body
• neutralizing conflict of interest among stakeholders

We are not anti-MLS. We are advocates for a healthy U.S. Soccer.
We believe America is the land of opportunity.
We believe in the American Dream.

Obviously this includes items other just the competition format known as Promotion and Relegation, many more.

No matter where you fit in the struggle to improve US soccer we think that you can find something that you agree needs addressed. It is easy to see that the #ProRelForUSA fight is one to reconstruct the system from the ground up for not only the professional game, but also the adult amateur game, youth soccer and how they are governed in this country.

 Join us... please speak up on all social media platforms using the #ProRelForUSA hashtag. Invite your supporters group to officially speak up in support of the changes needed at US Soccer to give the club you love the same opportunity as clubs the world over. Ask your clubs ownership/leadership to speak up and speak out in favor of the changes so desperately needed to give lower division local soccer in the US the stability needed to achieve long term growth in the US.

The pressure on those who govern the sport we all love in this great country needs to be raised to the level that it can no longer be ignored.

What could a regional D4/5 set up look like in VA, WV, NC and SC?

With recent reports that the USL owned PDL has been offering NPSL clubs 10k cash incentives to move in addition to waiving of the 75k entry fee and no yearly fee... the UPSL announcing rapid expansion in to Colorado, Idaho and other west coast states while putting in place a #ProRelForUSA system between 2 divisions of play... I just can't get past the thought that a USSF take over of the unofficial D4/D5 level of semi-pro/amateur club system and the introduction of a complete nationally structured regionally aligned system would be very beneficial to all parties involved.

To think about what the current system of competing national and regional D4 and D5 for profit leagues has led us to we can think about what it does to the member clubs. In many cases we have these small, limited budget clubs driving hours past clubs from other leagues who are much closer to get to distant league rivals. We have, comparative to club revenue, exorbitant entry and membership fees being charged by PDL. Franchise proximity clauses in place in many leagues keeping local rivalries from developing. The national focus of  NPSL and PDL do not allow for local league leadership to pursue sponsorship opportunities for league and cup competitions.

At the fully professional D1/2/3 levels the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina feature the Carolina Railhawks in the 2nd Division NASL along with the Richmond Kickers, Charlotte Independence and Charleston Battery in the 3rd Division USL and the Wilmington Hammerheads dropping from USL to PDL this year.

Right now there are 17 more clubs competing in the PDL and NPSL with several other rumored new clubs out there.

We can see that this is a really strong existing base for a regional D4 and D5 set up in a relatively small geographic footprint.

From my work trying to develop a much smaller regional league in this area I can confidently say that there are at least 5 investor groups and youth clubs who would immediately join a competitively priced regional league like this that I personally have talked to in WV and southwest Virginia alone. From looking at the list of cities of 25,000 and larger we see that this area has 76 separate cities with populations that large with only 21 clubs existing in them.

I think it is safe to say that the potential for rapid growth is there. This potential could easily lead to a system in place with a top level D4 with a north and south D5 that features promotion and relegation between the leagues. This does not even touch on the existing USASA and US Club sanctioned local leagues that already exist all up and down the region that if properly included could be the start of a de facto state level D6 club level and below.

In Virginia alone there are these USASA leagues...

• Braddock Road Adult Soccer League (BRASL)
• Burke Athletic Club (BAC)
• Central Virginia Soccer Association (CVSA)
• Churchland Soccer League (CSL)
• Culpeper Soccer Association (CSA)
• Fauquier County Adult Soccer League (FCASL)
• New River United Soccer Association (NRUSA)
• Northern Virginia Adult Soccer Association (NVASA)
• Northern Virginia Soccer Club (NVSC)
• Northern Virginia Soccer League (NVSL)
• Northern Virginia Women's Soccer League (NVWSL)
• Portsmouth Soccer Club (PSC)
• Roanoke Adult Soccer League (RASL)
• Shipp's Corner Soccer Club (SCSC)
• Soccer Organization of Charlottesville / Albemarle (SOCA)
• Southeastern Virginia Women's Soccer Association (SEVWSA)
• Virginia Rush-Hampton League (VA RUSH-Peninsula)
• Warren County Adult Soccer League (WCASL)  

Pairing this dedicated regional D4/5/6 system with a USSF mandated regional cup competition that features the 4 D2/3 pro teams could make for a very exciting regional league and cup set up.


13 team D4 playing a double round robin 24 game schedule
2 North/South 13 team D5 leagues playing 24 game double round robin schedules
6 state sanctioned D6 competitions (WV, Va North, Va South, NC East, NC West, SC)

D4 Relegates bottom 3
D5 Promote each North/South league winner with playoff for 2nd and 3rd place from each of North and South to qualify a 3rd team for promotion
D5 relegates 3 teams each from North/South
D6 promotes 1 team each from 6 state leagues.

With this set up not facing the profit generating pressure that the current league set up faces with USSF hosting the leagues the price point for entry and membership fees could be kept very low. A great comparison would be the Gulf Coast Premier League in the deep south and the Evergreen Premier League in Washington State that both have yearly expansion and membership fees of $1500 or less.

This lowering of fees, proximity of league members lowering travel costs, (hopefully) development of local rivals and away fan travel could all lead to improved health and profitability of this level of soccer in the region and massive growth.

Now think of this set up in your part of the country... how do you think this could change the way local soccer works? I think it would be a GREAT change that would do nothing but strengthen the base of the pyramid all across the country.