MLS Next Pro: The Evolution of Player Development 

You said if you were starting a team, you would want to join a league like Usl. But let me ask you. If you were starting a team, would you rather be in the Usl owners room, or the mls owners room that has way more money, infrastructure and reach? I think that’s what led Rochester to mlsnp. There is a lot more benefits to being apart of mls than Usl. Travel costs covered by league, a global shirt partnership with adidas just to name a couple. As a Rochester fan for 20 years, I liked the Usl and what we built. But having the opportunity to join mls as the only independent club in their system and for next to nothing is very attractive. In addition, they will add more of these clubs and my guess is eventually have a full 2nd Division of these clubs. Basically the Portuguese league, the Dutch league and every league in Europe that’s not top 5 league like Serie a epl La liga etc. even Ajax is considered a feeder club. Rochester will be a feeder club with player contracts belonging to them and not mls. So mls teams will need to pay them transfers for their players. Also with vardy involved. The club will directly sell to Europe clubs just like vardys academy does. One issue with Usl is that players only sign 1-2 year contracts and then leave for free to join mls or other clubs. Rochester identified a market for revenue that wasn’t really offered to them at the Usl level and that’s player transfers. Usl is getting better at this but I don’t think offers what mls can.

a lot of us in Rochester are just happy to have our team back after 4 years of...nothing. There were multiple benefits to sweeten the deal that turned the ownership's head to MLSNP, and from a business perspective it makes sense. With independent clubs really only caring about home game attendance numbers, the Rhinos traveling away to RBII in front of 300 people doesnt hurt their pockets. However, RBII traveling to Rochester boosts our home attendance by billing it as "watch your home team beat the next MLS stars". On paper it's a no-lose situation

i think you're right when you say MLSNP will be a development/reserve league. However, MLS is non-secretly trying to build their own pyramid. MLSNP will remain d3, but an MLS d2 league will almost certainly happen. I think the independent teams that join will make up that d2 league once it has the numbers, and the mls-II teams will stay d3. The no salary cap is very enticing to indie teams like my Rochester Rhinos/RNYFC, and gives a clear path to build up thru selling players which they directly own. Joining USL would just hamper the ambitions and MLSNP lets the club grow as quickly as possible no cap. Shortest answer: we tried USL for 22 years, time for something new. Club>League - Forza Rhinos

NYCFC supporter and actually went to the first NYCFC II game this past weekend (weather was horrible but we support regardless of that), I must say I dislike the penalty shootout after a draw, but at least it's normal penalties vs what they use to do when MLS started. Also like the idea of USL breaking away from MLS, becoming more independent to themselves.

do you think mls next pro will over take USL?

Is this free for talent? Or is it only for talent that can pay? That is the question that separates the US from the top player development countries.

I don't this league will work should have stayed in usl