USL Players Association asks for ‘livable wages’ as talks...

What’s Happening

Listen up: In late November, just as the holiday season was about to begin, 22 professional soccer players from USL Championship sides FC Tulsa and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC walked onto Oneok Field in Tulsa, Okla.

, dressed in matching black shirts. These shirts displayed a unified message: “Pro Rel? (yes, really)

” It was a subtle, yet loud statement — a jab against the United Soccer League’s plan to launch a first division men’s league and later implement promotion and relegation across their ec USL Players Association asks for ‘livable wages’ as talks stall before New Year deadline Story by USL Players Association asks for ‘livable wages’ as talks stall before New Year deadline Melanie Anzidei Wed, at 12:16 PM UTC · 10 min read In late November, just as the holiday season was about to begin, 22 professional soccer players from USL Championship sides FC Tulsa and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC walked onto Oneok Field in Tulsa, Okla.

The Details

Ahead of their championship match, the players made their stance clear. “There’s this disconnect between what is being put out publicly, and how players are being treated internally,” Duke Lacroix, an 11-year veteran of the league and current president of the USL Players Association, told The Athletic .

“This is what is being publicly displayed — the pro promotion-relegation the league’s advocating for, and we’re still lacking professional standards. ” The USL Championship, a second-division professional men’s soccer league, sits one step below Major League Soccer.

Why This Matters

There is a history of fluidity between the two leagues, as multiple USL clubs have successfully transitioned to MLS. Now, the USL is at a crossroads. The USL Players Association and USL Championship players have been in negotiations with USL since Aug.

Sports analysts are already debating what this means for the competition.

The Bottom Line

1, 2024, and are on the verge of entering 2026 with an expired CBA. Players have steadily grown more vocal in their public messaging over the last year; their November protest was one of their most visible actions yet.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.