Minutes from the Committee Meeting

May 1, 2026 — Committee Meeting # 38

Agenda Items 📋:

• The Vancouver Whitecaps and city of Vancouver both released statements this week in efforts to keep the Whitecaps in Vancouver, while a potential buyer has come forward who wants to move the team to Las Vegas. 
• Kickback Soccer Media’s own Matt Doyle wrote about the “Save the Caps” movement and lays out its importance for MLS and our local soccer communities.
• Eight MLS clubs booked their spots in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals this week. This marks two consecutive seasons with an all-MLS final eight.  
• Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded expansion rights for the NWSL’s 18th franchise. The club is expected to kick off in 2028 at Scott’s Miracle-Gro Field, home of Columbus Crew.
• NWSL made another seismic announcement this week, as the league will keep its current Spring-to-Fall schedule through at least 2030. This comes after the announcement that MLS will shift to a Fall-to-Spring schedule next year.
• The USL and USLPA announced a tentative collective bargaining agreement, averting a potential strike and setting forth with a landmark pact for the future of lower league soccer in the U.S.
• Finally, in other lower division news, MLS announced an agreement to sell 50% of MLS Next Pro to a private equity group that will seek to centralize the business operations of many of the clubs, and move some teams to nearby locations for matches.

Story of the Week:

One story of the week is the #SavetheCaps movement, which we will again refer you to Matt Doyle’s well written words. The other? The future of lower league soccer in the U.S.

Two major news stories converged at the end of the week, with the USL announcing a tentative landmark CBA with the USL Player’s Association, and MLS announcing a joint venture with KKR and Hometown Soccer Holdings for MLS Next Pro. Here’s a little more on what this means for each:

USL: The headlines from the USL for a year or two were their big aspirations; a first-division women’s league, a first-division men’s league, and promotion and relegation. There was a big coming-back-to-earth moment, however, when the CBA for the USL Championship expired, and the Players’ Association laid out a level of minimum standards that neither included health insurance nor twelve-month contracts. 

Early reports have the new CBA being a game changer for what has been the most stable and significant American soccer lower league ever, potentially providing the foundation for the USL to continue to dream big…now that they’ve taken care of the players that can make those aspirations come true.

MLS Next Pro: Can the minor league baseball model work for soccer? 2026 has proven how important MLS Next Pro can be to the success of an MLS club on the field, but it’s only proven its value as a development league.

Hometown Soccer Holdings, managed by former Chelsea executive Tom Glick and former LA Galaxy president Chris Klein, want to replicate the Minor League Baseball model of centralizing ownership and key business and commercial operations for the league. In order to drive interest, they’ll look to move many of the MLS Next Pro’s “home” to a nearby town, much as Nashville does with their Huntsville team.

Huntsville’s attendance is respectable, but the truth is many of the teams in MLS Next Pro are almost U19 teams, and rarely will feature the same player more than a year at a time.

More money and investment in developmental pathways is absolutely a good thing, but we’ll be watching carefully on whether the outside business interests are able to influence the soccer strategy that has made MLS Next Pro a crucial pathway for many clubs of late.

Matches to Watch:

Inter Miami CF vs. Orlando City SC, MLS (May 2nd, 7:15 PM ET, Apple TV/FS1): A team with Lionel Messi is rarely labeled as anything other than “must watch,” and this weekend is no exception. Inter Miami has been lackluster at home since opening Nu Stadium, drawing all three matches thus far. Orlando City’s last three competitive matches have featured five or more goals, and the last four meetings between these clubs have tallied four or more. 

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, NWSL (May 2nd, 4:00 PM ET, ION): Trinity Rodman and the Spirit head south for a rematch of the 2024 NWSL Championship. Orlando is in need of a win to get back into a playoff position while Washington looks for its fourth straight victory.

San Antonio FC vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks, USL Championship (May 2nd, 8:30 PM ET, ESPN Select): League play is back for USL this weekend, and this showdown in Texas pits two opposites against each other. San Antonio sits second in the conference, having allowed just five goals in eight matches. On the other side, Colorado Springs has scored more than all but two clubs in the league. Can the Switchbacks ride the momentum of taking an MLS side to penalties on Wednesday?

FC Naples vs. One Knoxville SC, USL League One (May 2nd, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN Select): Now eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup, One Knox looks to get back on track in West Florida. Naples sits at the top of USL League One, ahead of Knoxville on goal difference. The Tennessee club has never lost or conceded to Naples, and another win would put them top of the league!

Susannah "Cup Should Always Be" Fuller's Cocktail Recipe of the Week:

This week, we’re toasting the fans of the Whitecaps with a Vancouver:

1. 2 oz Gin.
2. .5 oz Sweet Vermouth.
3. 1 tsp Benedictine
4. 2 dashes Orange Bitters.
5. Stir.
6. Strain and serve with a lemon garnish.

Action Items, Kickback:

Soccerwise: We’ve still got your weekly MLS and NWSL reviews and previews, including all of the chaos from Wednesday’s MLS slate!

Make sure you listen to Soccerwise with David Gass, Tom Bogert, Matt Doyle, and Jordan Angeli now on SiriusXM, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 p.m. on SiriusXM FC 157, and on the SiriusXM App!

Kickback Committee: Susannah Fuller is joined by Chicago Stars Midfielder Brianna Pinto to talk all things NWSL, USWNT, World Cup 2026, and more!

First Touch: Episode nine is now out! Make sure to subscribe and listen to the first-ever World Cup 2026 dedicated show, First Touch! Inspired by podcasts with premium, rich storytelling like The Daily and Planet Money, this is Kickback Soccer Media’s most unique offering yet.