TLfC Pro/Am Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

What's the best way to explain this new "Pro/Am" Division and how did it come to be?

Accepted Answer

The easiest way to describe it is that it's a "Bridge League" that is intended to better bridge the gap between Amateur and Pro for players, teams and even referees, admin, and front office staff. The idea has been in the works for little while now and has come up in conversations both internally and externally.

Question 2

When do you expect the new division to launch?

Accepted Answer

We're planning for a 2027 launch. We will use all of 2026 to work with interested targets to finalize our application and onboarding process. This will be to ensure the travel distance for teams is palatable.

Question 3

What do you expect the calendar to look like?

Accepted Answer

We're planning for an April through October regional league play with national semi-finals and a national final to complete prior to Thanksgiving.

Question 4

How many games will there be in a season?

Accepted Answer

This would be a 20-24 game season in approximately a 30 week window, which would allow for teams with extreme weather times to sort some appropriate bye-weeks that are best for their organization.

Question 5

What types of clubs do you expect to be interested in this new model and are there interested clubs already?

Accepted Answer

This model will be a good fit for amateur clubs looking to compete at a higher level with a longer season calendar or clubs that have ambitions to play at the professional level in the future.

Question 6

How will this fit in the current American soccer landscape?

Accepted Answer

We see this as an opportunity to become an incubator for clubs with aspirations of moving into the third tier (lowest professional tier) of the American soccer pyramid. Currently, the operating budget for top amateur clubs is $75-100k per season. Meanwhile, the operating budget for a third-tier professional club is roughly $3.5 million, making the jump from amateur to professional near impossible. Finding a middle-ground that can help incubate the organizations and prepare them to make the jump is an important option.

Question 7

Can you talk about the financial implications, what will the league costs be and what do you expect the average yearly operating budgets for clubs to be?

Accepted Answer

We project operating budgets for clubs to be between $400,000 to $800,000 plus, but those may vary depending on region or club structure.

Question 8

What type of player and roster rules should we expect?

Accepted Answer

Player and roster rules information will be provided as the division develops.

Question 9

How will this league be sanctioned, will you need to follow Pro League Standards?

Accepted Answer

The league will be sanctioned under USASA and we will not be seeking US Soccer sanctioning at this time.