USL Super League

The USL Super League (USLS), officially known as the Gainbridge Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional women's soccer league and the highest level of the United States soccer league system, alongside the National Women's Soccer League. Organized by the United Soccer League (USL), it operates as its premier league for women above the pre-professional USL W League. It began play with the 2024–25 season.

The league consists of eight clubs who annually play four round-robins – two in the fall and two in the spring – to earn four places in a playoff tournament that determines the league's champion. Additional clubs are expected to join the league in the future. Clubs in the league have no cap on salaries or squad sizes, while minimum salaries are around US$35,000 to 37,000. There is no draft system, and squads are primarily built with free agents. The league's matches are streamed nationally on Peacock.

The USLS was established in September 2021 as part of an effort to develop a youth-to-pro pathway for women's players within the USL system. Initially planned as a division two league, numerous USL clubs explored fielding women's teams in the league, with eight markets being decided upon. The USL would later successfully seek division one sanctioning by U.S. Soccer, marking the first time that two leagues occupied the top tier of the United States women's soccer league system. As of the 2025–26 season, Lexington SC are the current champions and Players' Shield holders.

History

Embarking on the creation of a full pathway for women's soccer within their system, the United Soccer League (USL) established a professional women's league in 2021, and publicly unveiled it as the USL Super League in September of that year. Amanda Vandervort, former Chief Women's Football Officer for FIFPro, was appointed as the league's first president. In the wake of the unveiling, D.C. United, Lane United FC, Memphis 901 FC, Real Central New Jersey, USL New Orleans, and Santa Barbara Sky FC expressed interest in entering the Super League.

In May 2023, the USL awarded Super League franchise rights to Carolina Ascent FC, Dallas Trinity FC, DC Power FC, FC Tucson, Lexington SC, Phoenix Rising FC, Spokane Zephyr FC, and Tampa Bay Sun FC for the inaugural season; and Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Forward Madison, Indy Eleven, Oakland Soul SC, and Sporting Club Jacksonville for later seasons. FC Tucson and the Rising would later forfeit their franchise rights, citing unpreparedness for professional play. Brooklyn FC and Fort Lauderdale United gained entry into the league in their place. U.S. Soccer granted the Super League its Division I sanctioning in February 2024, alongside the National Women's Soccer League. The league's inaugural season kicked off on August 17, 2024, with two matches: an Ascent home victory against DC Power FC during which Vicky Bruce scored the league's first goal, and a Zephyr home tie with Fort Lauderdale.

Spokane Zephyr FC, an inaugural member team, abruptly folded at the end of the 2025–26 season amid a decline in attendance that averaged under 1,000 spectators. Beginning in 2026, the USLS will transition to a spring-to-fall season structure, matching the National Women's Soccer League. An abridged season will be played in the second half of 2026 followed by a full season in 2027.

Format

The USL Super League is currently on a shortened fall season, with plans to run on a spring-fall calendar starting in the spring of 2027. They played their first 2 seasons under a "fall to summer" schedule, aligning with the traditional fall–spring domestic soccer season, which differed from the spring–fall schedule typically used by American soccer leagues. A mid-season break was observed in order to avoid play in harsher climates during winter. The Super League does not have a college draft, and clubs rely on free agents and transfers to build rosters.

The team with the best record in the regular season wins the USL Super League Players' Shield. After the regular season, the top four teams play a single-elimination playoff tournament, the winner of which is the league champion.

Organization

Amanda Vandervort serves as the president of the USL Super League, while Missy Price serves as its vice president. Carrie Taylor is its vice president of operations. The league is organized underneath the United Soccer League league system, which is led by Alec and Nick Papadakis, who has led the USL since his appointment in 2009.

Teams

2026 USL Super League teams Team Location Venue Men's Affilate Brooklyn FC New York City, NY Maimonides Park 7,000 2024–25 Brooklyn FC (USLC) Carolina Ascent FC Charlotte, NC American Legion Memorial Stadium 10,500 2024–25 Charlotte Independence (USL1) Dallas Trinity FC Dallas, TX Cotton Bowl 90,000 2024–25 Atlético Dallas (USLC) DC Power FC Washington, D.C. Audi Field 20,000 2024–25 D.C. United (MLS) Fort Lauderdale United FC Fort Lauderdale, FL Amerant Bank Field ≈5,000 2024–25 Fort Lauderdale United FC (USL2) Lexington SC Lexington, KY Lexington SC Stadium 7,500 2024–25 Lexington SC (USLC) Sporting Club Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Hodges Stadium 12,000 2025–26 Sporting Club Jacksonville (USLC) Tampa Bay Sun FC Tampa, FL Suncoast Credit Union Field 5,000 2024–25

Future USL Super League teams Team Location Venue New York Cosmos Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 10,000 2027–28 Ozark United FC Rogers, AR Ozark United Stadium 5,000 2027–28 Athletic Club Boise Garden City, ID Stadium at Expo Idaho 7,247 Buffalo Pro Soccer Buffalo, NY Chattanooga Red Wolves SC East Ridge, TN CHI Memorial Stadium 5,500 Indy Eleven Indianapolis, IN Eleven Park 20,000 Oakland Soul SC Oakland, CA Oakland Coliseum 15,000 Rally Madison FC Madison, WI Breese Stevens Field 5,000

Former USL Super League teams Team Location Venue Spokane Zephyr FC Spokane, WA One Spokane Stadium 5,100 2024–25 2025–26

Timeline

Seasons

List of USL Super League seasons Year Champion Runners-up Players' Shield Top scorer 2024–25 8 28 Tampa Bay Sun FC Fort Lauderdale United FC Carolina Ascent FC 2,487 Thornton (13) 2025–26 9 28 Lexington SC Carolina Ascent FC Lexington SC 2,634 Barry (16) 2026 8 14

Broadcasting and sponsorship

NBCUniversal holds broadcasting rights for the USL Super League as part of a multi-year deal. It livestreams all matches on its subscription streaming service Peacock, with some matches simulcast on its NBC Sports NOW FAST channel. Additionally, individual teams have sold packages of games to various local broadcasters, including over-the-air television stations and regional sports networks.

Gainbridge owns the league's naming rights as part of a multi-year deal beginning in the 2025–26 season.

USL Super League

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