Sources close to United Soccer League franchises report that the USL could be under new ownership in the coming weeks. Umbro, the league’s majority owner, was purchased by Nike in the fall of 2007. At that time there were some serious questions regarding whether Nike wanted to be in the business of running a soccer league.
Therefore, it is not much of a surprise to see Nike looking into unloading the league onto another party. The deal would reportedly give money back to the franchises, who would then buy into the new league structure.
The league is not in danger of folding and is actually making a profit in many places. Two new expansion teams in New York and Tampa Bay will be joining USL-1 in 2010. Another club, Schulz Academy, will be joing the ranks of PDL in the Fort Lauderdale area.
There is a possibility that this deal will not bear fruit, but it is clearly worth looking into.
Chris Economides, Senior Director of USL’s First Division, declined to make a comment regarding this situation. There appears to be something to the story, but no specifics can be formally confirmed at this time.
