On January 6, the United States Soccer Federation’s (USSF) board of directors announced the granting of provisional status to both the USL and NASL as Division II leagues.
While neither league currently meets the full standards for Division II status, US Soccer president Sunil Gulati, in a USSF press release, argued that it is “in the best interest of the sport” to grant provisional status to both. Currently, US Soccer regulations adopted in 2008 require Division II leagues to have a minimum of 12 teams beyond their sixth year, and for all stadiums to have a minimum capacity of 5,000.