'Grow the game of soccer' - Inside MLS NEXT Pro's ambitious expansion plan after major investment

MLS NEXT Pro’s founding remit was quite simple. There were a bunch of very good footballers in the United States who weren’t making the grade for MLS teams. They needed somewhere to go - ideally to develop before they could work their way into the professional game.

Sure, a fair few seasoned veterans of the game also grabbed their spot, but this was a developmental league that looked to cultivate a new generation of talent - or at least give them a shot. Whether the league fully delivered on that or not is up for debate. However, it is clear that plenty of players, coaches, and now, at least one promising manager in Bradley, have risen through the NEXT Pro ranks into the highest level of the American game.

“The opportunity doesn't come around very often to have their support, to have the chance every day now with a team of my own, to run training, develop my ideas, develop my way of working, find the best ways to engage… with a spotlight that is not quite as bright, with a little bit, again, relatively speaking, little bit less pure pressure to to win every single weekend,” Bradley told GOAL shortly after being appointed Red Bulls 2 Head Coach.

The league has also had wins in introducing rules that have been adopted at the highest levels of the game. This is a breeding ground for players, and also perhaps a forum for a little bit of experimentation. Thus far, it has mostly worked. But that leaves MLS NEXT Pro with one massive question:

What’s next?

Well, with a big chunk of cash, the answer is more or less “everything.”

"When you think about all the different areas of our league, as it relates to player development, as it relates to sponsorship and corporate engagement, all the different things related to growing our league within the sport of soccer, we think the partnership will help elevate,” Curtis said.

But perhaps the eye-opening response is that of expansion. Thus far, the league has embraced new franchises - albeit cautiously. There were 21 founding clubs. By this year, there were 30. 27 were affiliated with MLS teams. A further three were independent. Over the last 18 months, the league has officially announced four further unaffiliated teams - all of which will start play next year. There are constant rumors about more to come.

“Putting a team in a new market with a new brand in a new stadium, but that's really going to have a great impact on the sport, on fan engagement and on player development. You know, having players compete in vibrant, right-sized stadiums makes sense,” Curtis said.

And that is a central goal. NEXT Pro wants to add more to accelerate. But it also wants to move existing clubs to new markets.

“There are so many different cities out there that do not have an MLS team, but that could support and would love to have professional soccer, that love the game,” Curtis explained.

It is worth noting that NEXT Pro has experience here. Huntsville City FC are tucked away in a tidy corner of Alabama. They play their soccer in the biggest city in the state, but have no immediate sporting competitors. The “Boys in Blue” operate out of a former minor league baseball stadium, and average a tidy 4,000 fans per match in a stadium that seats 6,000.

They have their own badge, their own branding, and function just like any independent club would. However, they are also, technically, the feeder club to MLS’s Nashville SC. For Curtis, they are the perfect model - a successful enough team in a community that is yet to fully embrace professional soccer.

“That's in a new market. It's got a new brand, and it's in a stadium situation that makes sense for that community. It just allows for Huntsville to be Huntsville,” Curtis said.

If that sounds an awful lot like another American soccer league, then that’s kind of the point. USL, too, is expanding at a frightening rate and encouraging independent ownership to place teams in accessible markets across the country.

MLS expansion fees are massive - San Diego's ownership group paid $500 million - and no new teams are imminent. USL is cheap, and even if there are far fewer guardrails, it is a quite comfortable opportunity for ownership groups to establish a team in a community lacking in sports.

This is a big country, though. And there isn’t necessarily a copyright for ideas, either. Most importantly, though, Curtis thinks that the development of MLS as a league stands as proof that NEXT Pro could do the same.

“After the 94 World Cup, MLS has spent 30 years really developing, evolving and growing as a league, and developing, evolving and growing the sport of soccer,” he said.

There will be further questions to come here. A massive issue for USL in recent years has been that of stadiums.

The introduction of a Division 1 league has only heightened conversations about having an appropriate venue for high level professional soccer. And while Curtis didn’t commit to any specifics, he acknowledged that having a proper venue to watch soccer is vital.

“Having a plan as it relates to a stadium will help facilitate great moments and memories for fans. It will help support all the different player development elements that are important. And it's just important for any community to have a home to rally around for a sports team. We've all been, have gone to different sports games, and the venue is super important,” he said.

So, how much can this thing grow? If MLS NEXT Pro is bringing in a tidy injection of cash, what is the end goal? Expansion without purpose, after all, can be a dangerous thing. It is what has seen clubs around the world fold in the past. NEXT Pro wants to get its league up to 50 teams. Curtis believes that’s realistic.

Of course, that likely means that the league will have to continue to expand at a quicker rate. The 34 next year will be solid. Finding venues for 16 new clubs - with competition expected in some markets - will be tricky. Still, they’re counting on a groundswell of momentum around the league. And given the way that this thing has already grown, you wouldn’t bet against further success.

“We're very excited about what's happening right now, and we're going to do everything we can to grow this sport, and we have the support and the backing of our owners, and so we're going to give it all we have,” Curtis said.