The A-League and the USISL agreed in principle to a merger that will create a new 24-team Division II professional league next year. An official announcement of the merger will be made at the USSF annual general meeting July 11 in Arlington, Va.
The new league will be called the A-League, but will incorporate the distinctive USISL sizzling ball into its logo. The 24 teams will include all seven of the present A-League franchises and 17 USISL teams, most of them coming from the Select League, which presently has provisional Division II status, although a few from the Pro or Premier League may also make the jump. The teams will play a 24-30 game schedule beginning April or May of 1997.
“This is a landmark of sorts because it marks one of the first times in American soccer history where rival forces have done a sensible thing,” said USISL commissioner Francisco Marcos, who will become the commissioner of the new A-League. “We were able to put aside personal differences and personal agendas. It should be cause for A-League and USISL executives to congratulate each other… but ultimately, the ones who benefit most from this are North American soccer and the fans.”
There are plenty of details yet to be finalized (much will occur at an owners’ committee meeting July 17 at the USISL All-Star game), but several major points have been worked out.
* Francisco Marcos will be the commissioner of the new league. Richard Groff, the interim A-League commissioner, will end his duties by the end of the year.
* The new A-League will have a maximum of 24 teams (possibly fewer) in 1997, and could grow to 32 teams by 1999 or 2000.
*A promotion/relegation system will be used in conjunction with the Division III USISL league (which has yet to be named). However, there will be no mandatory relegation until the new A-League reaches its cap of 32 teams.
*The present Prime Network A-League television package is expected to continue next year for the new A-League.
The following USISL teams have applied for Division II status and a chance to be in the new A-League:
- Arizona (Premier)
- California
- Carolina
- Central Jersey (Pro)
- Charleston (Pro)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- El Paso
- Hampton Roads
- Long Island
- Milwaukee
- Minnesota
- Nashville (Premier)
- New Mexico
- New Orleans
- Orlando (Premier)
- Raleigh
- Reading (Pro)
- Richmond
- South Carolina
- Tampa Bay
- Worcester (Pro)
Note: all teams are from the USISL Select League unless otherwise noted.