• USL president says new competition is not a threat to MLS
• Would give USL competitions at every level of men’s soccer

The United Soccer Leagues (USL), the organization that administers most of the lower-division leagues in the United States, will announce on Thursday that it intends to add a new league to its portfolio: One that is sanctioned as Division I, the same level as MLS.

The as yet-unnamed league, which USL says it intends to launch in 2027, would give the organization a circuit at each level of the men’s US Soccer system, along with the Division II USL Championship, Division III USL League One, the semi-pro USL League Two, and USL Youth leagues. It will also seemingly open up a direct line of competition between the organization and MLS, years after the two ended their strategic partnership that saw many MLS reserve teams playing in USL leagues.