The United Soccer League (USL) is launching a top-tier professional women’s soccer league that will feature two teams based in Arizona for its inaugural season as a division-one soccer league for women in the U.S.
Set to kick off in August 2024, the USL Super League will make women’s soccer accessible to more players and fans across the U.S. and provide female athletes with more opportunities on and off the field. As a global leader in women’s soccer, the USL Super League will play on the international “fall-to-summer” soccer calendar and offer a distinct youth-to-pro women’s pathway.
“Today marks a major milestone for the United Soccer League as we take another step in building an integrated women’s soccer network unlike any other,” says USL CEO Alec Papadakis in a statement. “Our aim is to make the USL Super League globally recognized and admired for its financial stability, operational excellence, community building and high-level competition.”
The USL Super League has announced that Phoenix and Tucson are among the initial group of markets to join the league and play in the inaugural 2024 season, which will feature 10–12 teams across the U.S. The USL Super League plans to expand into additional markets after the inaugural season.
Led by the Phoenix Rising FC ownership group, USL Super League Phoenix will bring the highest level of professional women’s soccer to Arizona and will play at their new, easily- accessible stadium centrally located just north of Sky Harbor International Airport.
USL Super League Tucson will also make world-class women’s soccer more accessible in the state and will be led by FC Tucson owner and lifelong local soccer leader Jon Pearlman alongside RightSure Insurance founder, best-selling author and club chairperson Jeff Arnold. Multiple stadium options are being considered and the location will be announced in the coming months.
“We’re excited to share the initial group of USL Super League markets that will bring professional women’s soccer closer to home for fans and players across America,” says USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort in a statement. “Our aim is to significantly expand opportunities in women’s soccer through strategic growth, build a pathway that connects talent with opportunity, and engage communities by celebrating a universal passion for the game expressed through local culture.”
To learn more, visit www.uslsuperleague.com.
