USL Super League receives Division 1 sanctioning from U.S. Soccer

The new professional women’s league known as the USL Super League will begin play this August as a division 1 league.

USL Super League received approval from the U.S. Soccer Federation for their division one application, giving the U.S. two top flight professional women’s leagues.

“This is a tremendous moment for the USL Super League and for women’s sports,” said USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort in a news release. “Receiving Division One sanctioning further showcases the work that our ownership groups, our clubs, and the league are doing to create a professional environment for top-level talent to compete. This is a crucial step toward realizing our vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field. We cannot wait to see our clubs take the field when we kick off in August 2024.”

The league will kick off with teams in eight markets: Brooklyn, Carolina, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Lexington, Spokane, Tampa Bay and Washington DC.

Teams are also planned for Chattanooga, Tenn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Madison, Wisc.; Oakland, Calif.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Tucson, Ariz.

Heather Mitts, Jill Loyden and Renee Washington are spearheading an effort to bring a USL Super League team to Philadelphia. Philadelphia last had a professional women’s team in 2011, the second and final season of the Philadelphia Independence in Women’s Professional Soccer, which folded in 2012.