U.S. Soccer Sanctions WPS To Highest Tier Despite Only Having Five Teams

U.S. Soccer's BOD yesterday agreed to "continue its sanction of the WPS with Division 1 status, its highest for a professional league, despite it only having five teams for 2012," according to Beau Dure of ESPNW.com. Finalization of the decision "hinges on WPS owners agreeing to certain disclosed terms stipulated by U.S. Soccer." Division 1 status is "important for the WPS, as it will allow the league to continue attracting top professional international players." Dure noted this is "not the first waiver granted by U.S. Soccer to the WPS," as the league "has operated with fewer than the eight teams stipulated by U.S. Soccer's professional league standards." WPS played this season with six clubs, then "became a five-league team in the offseason when the magicJack franchise was terminated after disputes with owner Dan Borislow." WPS has said several times in recent months that it "has multiple expansion prospects, but had no franchise immediately ready to launch." Still, the board's decision "does not guarantee the league will be ready for the 2012 season." The league is "still in litigation with Borislow, and most U.S. national team players have not signed contracts for next season, when they would be unavailable much of the summer if the team qualifies for the 2012 Olympics" (ESPNW.com, 12/12). Neither side "has shared any details on the specific conditions which must be met," though sources "have alluded to expectations regarding future expansion into a wide variety of markets and locales" (NATIONALSOCCERWIRE.com, 12/12).