The United Soccer League (USL) is undergoing a major leadership shift as longtime CEO Alec Papadakis transitions to co-chair of the board, making way for Paul McDonough to take over as president and CEO effective June 1. The move comes as the league prepares for significant structural changes, including the launch of a new first-division league and the implementation of promotion and relegation across its tiers.
McDonough, who has served as president and chief soccer officer since 2023, will now lead the organization into a more ambitious era. Papadakis, who has been CEO since 2009, will co-chair the board alongside BellTower CEO Kewsong Lee, who moves up from vice chair.
“It has been the privilege of my career to help build the USL over the past 16 years,” Papadakis said in a statement. “From the beginning, this has been about expanding access to the sport and strengthening the connection between our communities and the global game of soccer. I’m especially proud of the team and what we’ve been able to accomplish together. I have full confidence in Paul and the leadership group as they drive USL’s next exciting chapter.”
Under McDonough, the USL is pushing forward with two key initiatives: the creation of USL Premier, a new first-division league set to debut in 2028, and a vote to adopt promotion and relegation across its three-tier system—from League One to the USL Championship and into the top flight.
“Alec has set us up really well with a strong foundation of how we now can prepare for the next couple of decades as we get into the next phase of what the USL is,” McDonough told The Athletic in a phone interview. “Promotion and relegation is a massive piece for us. Bringing in strong owners that have ambition to grow their clubs in the communities in which they have their organizations. And really having a strong sense of purpose to grow the game as we fill out our expansion pipeline.”
Papadakis, who received the Werner Fricker Builder Award from U.S. Soccer this year, played a pivotal role in the league’s growth. He helped create USL Pro in 2010, linking the first and second divisions. A partnership with Major League Soccer in 2013 fueled expansion, and in 2017 the USL regained second-division sanctioning. In 2019, it launched a third-division league and rebranded its second division as the USL Championship. The organization also started the women’s W League in 2022 and the first-division USL Super League in 2024.
The USL now operates in more than 200 markets nationwide. The USL Championship currently has 25 teams, USL League One has 17, and the semipro USL League Two features 158 teams across 20 regional divisions. The W League has 95 teams, and the Super League has nine.
Papadakis’s shift to a board role follows another change in the league’s hierarchy: his son, Justin Papadakis, who served as deputy CEO, left the organization in March. Additionally, Premier League executive Tony Scholes is expected to join the USL as president of the new USL Premier in June.
McDonough said the league has made significant progress in identifying new ownership groups and potential expansion sites as it prepares for the first-division launch.
“We’ve announced a new structure, and we’re announcing new stadiums and new owners, (the goal is to) carry the momentum out of the World Cup and bring soccer to more communities throughout the country,” McDonough said.