HOW U.S. SOCCER WORKS

11 Benefits of Promotion and Relegation

Key Concept 

American soccer is organized across multiple leagues and levels rather than one fully connected system. Professional, semi professional, and amateur leagues operate side by side, each with its own structure. This section explains how the pieces fit together and why that structure matters.

Promotion day is one of the most unforgettable moments in sports. A club that may have spent years building suddenly finds the door to the next level wide open, and supporters who followed the journey see new possibilities for their team.

Supporters of promotion and relegation argue that this system creates a more dynamic and competitive environment. Because movement between divisions is determined by results on the field, clubs at every level have something meaningful to play for throughout the season.

Advocates believe an open pyramid can encourage greater investment, expand opportunities for clubs and communities, and strengthen the overall soccer ecosystem.

Few modern stories illustrate this better than Wrexham A.F.C. After being acquired by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020, the Welsh club earned three consecutive promotions and, as of early 2026, is pushing for a fourth. Their rise has energized an entire city and captured global audiences, showing what an open pyramid can produce.

Below are several of the most commonly cited benefits of promotion and relegation.

Why Promotion and Relegation Matters for Clubs

Promotion and relegation creates real sporting stakes and long-term opportunity for clubs at every level of the pyramid. Below are some of the most commonly discussed benefits.

Community Impacts Beyond the Club

Benefits of Promotion and Relegation for a Club

1. Ownership Opportunities

The United States is one of the largest sports markets in the world, yet the top professional level currently contains a limited number of clubs.

There are more than 300 U.S. cities with populations above 100,000, and over 95 cities above 200,000 residents. Only a small portion of those cities host a top division club.

Major markets like Detroit, Phoenix, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Louisville, and Jacksonville all have passionate soccer communities and professional or semi-professional clubs operating in leagues such as:

Clubs like the Richmond Kickers have been operating professionally for decades despite representing relatively small markets.

An open pyramid would create a new investment dynamic. Instead of a fixed number of top division places, ambitious ownership groups could invest in existing clubs and attempt to build them into top tier competitors over time.

That dynamic is already showing signs of life in the United States. When the United Soccer League announced its promotion and relegation plans in March 2025, one ownership group reported that a potential investor was willing to quadruple their investment specifically because of the opportunity to climb the pyramid. Jose Bautista, former MLB All-Star and owner of Las Vegas Lights FC, captured the sentiment directly: “It’s going to bring in better players, better staff, and just a better show for our fans. So how can we say no to that?”

This type of long term sporting ambition has attracted many American investors abroad. U.S. ownership groups currently hold stakes in clubs ranging from giants like Liverpool F.C. and Manchester United F.C. to smaller clubs such as Crawley Town F.C. and Gillingham F.C. These clubs operate in systems where promotion and relegation are part of the sporting landscape.

The appeal is simple. Clubs can grow through performance and investment, not only through expansion. An open pyramid in the United States would create similar long term opportunities for investors, cities, and clubs

2. Financial Incentives

Promotion changes the financial reality of a club.

Moving into a higher division increases visibility, sponsorship potential, broadcast revenue, and matchday demand.

One of the clearest examples comes from England. Clubs promoted from the EFL Championship to the Premier League immediately gain access to dramatically larger media revenue distributions. Even the lowest placed Premier League club earns well over $100 million in annual broadcast revenue, while Championship clubs operate on far smaller distributions. Promotion can therefore transform a club’s business model overnight.

The financial case has now been studied within the American context as well. Sports consultants Twenty First Group, commissioned by the USL, projected that implementing promotion and relegation could increase matchday and commercial revenues by 15 to 30 percent, driven primarily by higher ticket sales and stronger sponsorship interest. The announcement itself produced immediate results — sponsors who had previously declined to engage began returning to the bargaining table.​

Additional financial benefits include:

  • Higher sponsorship values
  • Increased ticket demand
  • Expanded merchandise sales
  • Global media exposure
  • Improved commercial partnerships

Strong clubs can then reinvest that revenue into players, academies, and facilities. Promotion creates a powerful economic incentive for clubs to grow.

3. Increased Competition

Promotion and relegation create meaningful stakes across the entire table.

Every match can affect promotion races, playoff qualification, or survival battles near the bottom of the league. Instead of only a championship race at the top, clubs throughout the standings have something important to play for.

As one USL owner noted, it is “pretty tough to get the fans excited when the game doesn’t matter.” Promotion and relegation solves that problem by making every point meaningful for every club in the table.
​This constant pressure produces dramatic seasons and memorable moments that supporters follow closely.

4. Sporting Merit

Promotion and relegation reward performance on the field. Clubs move up because they win. Clubs move down because they struggle.

The system emphasizes competitive results rather than financial position or league membership fees alone. This merit based structure is widely viewed as one of the defining characteristics of global football culture.

Learn more about how open pyramids operate in our guide to What is Promotion and Relegation in the United States.

5. Player Development

When clubs move up the pyramid, they face stronger competition. Players must improve to keep up.

This environment can accelerate the development of young talent, especially players emerging from academies or lower divisions. Higher divisions also attract more scouts, increasing exposure for rising players who might eventually move to national teams or international clubs.

6. Fan Engagement

Promotion races and relegation battles create unforgettable emotional moments. Supporters experience both anxiety and hope throughout the season.

One American investor described the experience perfectly. After his Italian club achieved promotion, he said the celebration parade through the canals of Venice would remain one of the most unforgettable memories of his life.

Wrexham has shown what this engagement can look like at scale. Their fourth-year Championship campaign drew global streaming audiences, generated international media coverage, and turned matchdays at the STōK Cae Ras into events watched far beyond Wales. As of early 2026, the entire soccer world is watching to see if a club that was playing non-league football just six seasons ago can reach the Premier League. That story could not exist without an open pyramid.

Those moments help build lifelong connections between supporters and clubs. Promotion celebrations often become defining chapters in a club’s history.

7. Club Sustainability

The possibility of relegation encourages clubs to continually improve. Teams invest in:

  • Better facilities
  • Stronger academies
  • Improved scouting
  • Better coaching staffs

The competitive pressure helps prevent long periods of complacency and encourages professional standards across the pyramid. Healthy leagues depend on clubs striving to improve every season

8. Enhanced League Structure

Promotion and relegation connect multiple divisions into one coherent competitive ladder. Instead of separate leagues operating independently, the divisions become part of a shared structure where movement between tiers is possible.

This creates a clearer pathway for ambitious clubs and gives fans a better understanding of how the entire ecosystem fits together.

9. Higher Sporting Standards

Because clubs must compete to stay in their division, they are motivated to raise standards. Investment often follows ambition.

Clubs improve stadiums, upgrade training facilities, strengthen youth development systems, and recruit stronger players. Over time, this continuous pressure to improve raises the overall quality of the sport.

10. Global Alignment

Promotion and relegation are used throughout most of the soccer world. Countries across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia operate open pyramids that connect dozens of leagues and thousands of clubs.

This structure has helped create many of the most compelling sporting stories in global soccer. Aligning with this model would place American leagues within the same competitive framework that supporters around the world already understand.

That alignment is now underway in the United States. In March 2025, the United Soccer League became the first professional league in the United States to approve promotion and relegation, with plans to connect multiple divisions through an open pyramid beginning later this decade. 

In January 2026, the USL announced USL Premier as its new Division I men’s league,  connected through promotion and relegation with the USL Championship and USL League One.

Even MLS, which historically dismissed the concept, has begun to shift. Commissioner Don Garber, who for years flatly rejected pro-rel as incompatible with American soccer, signaled a more open posture in December 2025, acknowledging at his State of the League address that promotion and relegation could eventually arrive in MLS and that the league is willing to evolve.

11. Long-Term Stability

Open pyramids provide a long term competitive framework. Clubs are accountable for performance while still maintaining the opportunity to rebuild and climb again. Some clubs fall, reorganize, and return stronger in future seasons. This cycle of challenge and recovery helps sustain competitive balance across the pyramid.

Community Impacts Beyond the Club

Promotion does not only affect clubs. It can energize entire communities. When a local club rises through the divisions, it often sparks pride, economic activity, and civic identity.

Here are some of the broader community benefits.

1. Local Pride and Identity

When a hometown club earns promotion, it becomes a shared achievement for the entire community. Supporters, families, youth players, and local businesses celebrate together. The club becomes a symbol of the city.

2. Economic Boost

Successful teams attract visitors and increase matchday spending. Restaurants, hotels, bars, and retail businesses often benefit from increased foot traffic during home games. Research commissioned by the USL projected that pro-rel could increase matchday and commercial revenues across the league system by 15 to 30 percent, reflecting economic benefits that extend well beyond the clubs themselves and into the communities they serve.

3. Infrastructure Improvements

Clubs pursuing promotion often upgrade stadiums and facilities. These venues can later host concerts, festivals, youth tournaments, and community events. The investment can benefit the entire region.

4. Youth Inspiration

Young players gain inspiration when a local club competes at higher levels. It reinforces the idea that soccer pathways exist close to home. This visibility can increase youth participation and strengthen local development programs.

5. Community Cohesion

Soccer has a unique ability to bring people together. Local clubs create shared traditions, supporter groups, and matchday rituals that connect people across neighborhoods and generations.

6. Volunteer Culture

Many clubs rely on volunteers for matchday operations, youth programs, and community events. Promotion races often increase engagement, drawing more supporters into the life of the club.

7. Inspiration for Future Generations

The journey of a club climbing the pyramid demonstrates resilience, ambition, and long term planning. Those lessons resonate with young fans and future players.

8. Cultural Identity

Clubs often become ambassadors for their region. Local traditions, music, food, and culture are showcased during matches and tournaments.

9. Community Events

Promotion seasons often lead to large celebrations, parades, and supporter gatherings that strengthen local identity.

10. Happiness and Civic Pride

At its best, soccer provides shared experiences that people remember for decades. When a community club succeeds, the sense of pride extends far beyond the stadium.

Conclusion

Promotion and relegation are not simply a league format. They represent a structure where ambition, performance, and community support can combine to move a club forward.

For the first time in American soccer history, that structure is taking shape. A sanctioned Division I pro-rel league is scheduled to launch in 2028, connecting USL Championship and USL League One into a genuine competitive pyramid.

For many supporters around the world, and now increasingly in the United States, that possibility is exactly what makes soccer uniquely compelling.

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