MLIS Outlines Plans for an Expanded Indoor Soccer Pyramid
Major League Indoor Soccer today announced at their annual meeting, the creation of MLIS2 and MLIS3, amateur development leagues that will create opportunities for players to play elite, competitive indoor soccer while working towards advancing to the professional level at MLIS.
It's part of a vision MLIS Commissioner Dominic Turcotte outlined at Wednesday's league owners' meeting.
MLIS also plans to introduce promotion/relegation to the world of indoor soccer for the first time. Expansion at the MLIS level will be capped at a fixed number of teams to optimize franchise values.
Last year, six MLIS teams had affiliates in the Premier Arena Soccer League, but this year each MLIS team will be expected to field a development team in MLIS2. The teams will be organized geographically in order to keep travel costs to a minimum.
Adding its own second and third division reflects a natural progression for MLIS. "Bringing the development league in-house is going to streamline operations, unify our pyramid, and make the whole process more uniform and efficient," said Turcotte. "This along with the creation of youth soccer academies for ages 5 to 18, will complete our soccer pyramid"