Over the weekend Reckless Challenge broke the story that the USL PRO is looking to apply for Division 2 status with the USSF in 2017. The story sure sent a shock wave across online soccer communities. With the ever increasing MLS influence, USL PRO becoming a Division 2 league has been something people liked to speculate about for a while now. To see it in an actual scoop caught a lot of folks by surprise. For those of you knew to following lower division soccer, the USL used to encompass Division 2 and Division 3 with USL-1 and USL-2. In 2009-2010 there was a split with some teams breaking off to form the new NASL while the rest stayed with USL PRO. NASL became D2, USL PRO became D3, and here we are today.

There’s already been a lot of discussion online about the merits of USL PRO perusing Division 2 status and how it’ll shake up the American soccer landscape. I’m sure there will be even more in during the week to come. We’ll let others discuss the broader implications of this move. Instead I’m going to take a small, narrow look as it pertains to the Riverhounds. As you would expect being sanctioned as a higher division brings higher requirements of the league and of it’s teams. While these requirements could change in two years (after all, the USSF does what it wants), for the sake of speculation let’s take a look at four current requirements that affect the Hounds.

• (1) At least 75 percent of the league’s teams must play in metropolitan markets of at least 750,000 persons.
• (2) All league stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 5,000.
• (3) Each team ownership group must demonstrate the financial capacity to operate the team for three years. … In addition, each team must have and its governing documents must designate one principal owner with a controlling interest who owns at least 35% of the team and has authority to bind the team. Such principal owner must have an individual net worth of at least twenty million US dollars (US $20,000,000) exclusive of the value of his/her ownership in the league or team and his/her primary personal residence.
• (4) All of the required positions … must be filled by full‐time staff year‐round. (general manager, director of marketing/sales, director of communications/media relations, director of promotions/community relations, director of game operations, head coach, assistant coach, trainer, ticketing manager, finance director, and clerical staff.

So, how do the Hounds fair? Well Pittsburgh meets the metropolitan market easily so scratch that off the list. Same goes for the 4th requirement (if they ever hire a head coach that is). Number 2 and number 3 are where things get tricky.

Depending who you ask Highmark Stadium has either 3,500 or 4,000 seats. Per the website it’s 3,500 seats plus suits and standing room (which probably gets you to 4,000). I don’t know if the USSF requirement is 5,000 actual seats, or just general capacity. Either way expanding Highmark Stadium an additional 1,000 – 1,500 seats isn’t, in the grand scheme of things, that big of an issue. The Hounds talked about expansion ever since the stadium opened. Specifically in regards to redoing the supporters section. To my non-engineering eye there’s plenty of room on that side to build up similar to the main grandstand. That alone would get them over 5,000. Now should they go much higher than that? With the attendance slump last season probably not. But who knows. Maybe by 2017 the Pirates will have pulled a Pens and out priced their fans, and Highmark Stadium becomes the go to summer sporting destination.

The biggest question is the third requirement, the ownership net worth. We like to joke about Tuffy Money, but I don’t know if he has $20 million. It’s tough to say what his net worth is since all his companies are private. We can at least infer Tuffy has a net worth of over $10 million per the Division 3 standards plus Tuffy owning 100% of the team post bankruptcy. Even if Tuffy himself doesn’t meet that requirement he might have friends in the gas industry or know some other local big wigs that does. Maybe one of the Giant Eagle families has a soccer itch. To be fair to the Hounds ownership wealth is the biggest question for most USL PRO teams if this jump happens, but 2-3 years should be enough time to find a sugar daddy if need be.

In the end the ultimate question is should the Hounds go to Division 2 if the opportunity arises? If it happened today I’d say probably not. A higher division should, in theory, bring better exposure and better players. It also brings higher costs that a team just coming out of bankruptcy probably can’t, or at least shouldn’t, take on. Now should they in 2017? It’s tough to say until more details come out. A lot can change in 2-3 years, and the Reckless Challenge article mentions the requirements will probably change by then anyways. I know some of our members aren’t big fans of the MLS – USL partnership and would like to see the Hounds jump to the NASL. For better or worse I’m sure a lot of this rumored push is due to the MLS partnership. Ultimately we’ll see if the Hounds decide to join the USL on the Division 2 train or stay in whatever becomes of Division 3. In the mean time it’s fun to speculate because what else is there to do.

#UNLEASH