4th November 2025
November 4 – The United Soccer League (USL) has named Tony Scholes, currently the Premier League’s Chief Football Officer and former Stoke City CEO, as President of its new Division One league, which is set to launch in 2027.
Scholes will begin his new adventure at the end of the Premier League season. He’ll bring nearly three decades of experience in English football and a high-level pedigree that can only benefit the U.S. game.
At the Premier League, he helped shape competition standards, strengthen youth pathways, and guide the evolution of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) platform. Prior to the Premier League, he spent 17 years leading Stoke City through promotions, relegations, European competition, and in one of the harshest environments in the football world.
“Tony Scholes is a proven leader with experience at the highest levels of the global game,” said Alec Papadakis, CEO of the United Soccer League. “He brings unmatched credibility and perspective as we build our Division One league and introduce promotion and relegation in U.S. professional soccer. His appointment marks another major step forward for the USL and underscores the confidence and momentum behind what we’re building.”
By introducing promotion and relegation, the USL is bringing the kind of drama and consequence that truly make every game matter, unlike its competitor, MLS, where meaningless games are often played amongst the bottom dwellers.
Scholes said: “Promotion and relegation create opportunity, consequence, and emotion that capture the imagination of players and fans alike, and the chance to help bring that model to the U.S. is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
While MLS may have the money and star names, USL is betting on authenticity and a true footballing pyramid that is based on meritocracy. As Scholes put it: “The USL has the rare chance to build something from a clean sheet.”
The question now for the USL is whether it can redefine what top-tier football in the U.S. truly means.