Year one of the USL Super League, told by those at the heart of it
The first season of the USA's second top-level women's league is coming towards a close, and those involved discuss how it has gone so far, and what might the future hold for the USL Super League...
“There was a moment in the opening match in North Carolina…we had 10,000 fans in the stands, a guy came down from the sky holding the match ball, handed it off to our female-led ownership group, that moment felt surreal. It was like, ‘wow, we made it’...”
They are the words of Amanda Vandervort, President of the new USL Super League, the USA’s second professional top division league, which is now quickly reaching the conclusion of its inaugural season.
Vandervort, former Chief Women’s Football Officer for FIFPro, has been at the head of the project since its initial announcement, appointed just a month after the USL confirmed it would be launching a new women’s league.
“In that moment in Carolina, it quickly changed to ‘what’s next?!’ How are we building every day and setting out to make the impact we set out to make,” Vandervort enthuses.
On how it all came about, she continues, “There’s two answers. The USL CEO had intentions to launch this 10 or so years ago, so this is not anything that was a recent spark or off the cuff. It was very intentional and very planned, but for me personally it was about four years ago.
“I started talking to the USL about if I was the right person to come in and lead it. For me, it’s been a lifetime of a spark, to be able to build a player-first, fan-centric league has been a dream for me, so it was a perfect fit, coming together at the same time as the industry itself was strengthening – that was magic.”
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The initial plan was for the USL Super League to launch with second division status, therefore not viewed as a direct rival to the NWSL, but that changed in 2023 when it was announced the intention was now to be a first division league, in order to increase professionalism, including minimum costs, standards, and staff numbers, among other criterias.
In February 2024, US Soccer granted the league the status it was craving, ensuring the USA would have two fully professional, but completely separate, top divisions.
Eight clubs signed up for the inaugural season, which kicked off last August, in Brooklyn, Carolina, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Fort Lauderdale, Lexington, Spokane and Tampa, bringing top-level women’s sport to some huge markets which didn’t have an NWSL side.
They’ll be joined by Jacksonville and Madison in 2025, with further franchises in Palm Beach, Rogers, Boise, East Ridge, Indianapolis, Oakland, Phoenix and Tucson announcing their intentions to join in the future.
Vandervort in particular is delighted to see the interest from big markets around the country in the new league.
“I think the main point is of course it’s an opportunity for players, but what you see too now is it’s a real business opportunity. There are owners and investors in each of these cities seeing it as a smart investment, and that’s a shift in the marketplace.
“It’s a good business investment, people who love women’s soccer, who want to see it thrive, and organisations who want to invest. For us, it’s about when we bring them on, they’re fully revved up and ready to go.”
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