http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/12/03/nasl-new-york-cosmos-future-us-soccer-usl-meetings

I wish the lower leagues here were organized more like baseball (several levels all somewhat affiliated with an MLS team). I don't think we're ever going to see promotion/relegation (and I don't really care if we do) but I think it'd be good for player development if there were more paths for playing time between the academy level and first team. It seems like we're headed that way with USL affiliation and thats probably better in the long run.

Update. Sounds like NASL is done.

http://fiftyfive.one/2016/12/sources-nasl-last-legs-usl-deal-99-complete/

NASL folding? No way anyone could have seen that coming.

Dre_00 said:

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NASL folding? No way anyone could have seen that coming.

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Good, here in OKC it got really hateful between our USL franchise (more established, this was year three) and the new first season NASL team owned by almost broke Rayo from La Liga. Our NASL team had signed some decent players (Robbie Findley being one, a couple other guys with World Cup experience from other nations), but everything they did was second rate, including a tiff between an ownership partner here and an operating partner, the latter who stole portions of the field late in the year.

I read a great article proposing that our lower leagues need to be regional during the season to reduce travel costs, and other region winners during a playoff. Much like 4th tier England or 3rd tier France. It's insane that OKC travels to Edmonton or wherever for a game that 4;000 people go to.

USL sorta does that, I don't believe the west played the east at all last year, but there is still a huge travel distance for some of the west teams.