The 2026 USL Championship season will probably start on Friday, March 6th. I include the “probably” because there’s a ticking time bomb counting down over the entire league at the moment.
The countdown that began on New Year’s Eve as jubilant revelers ushered in 2026 unfortunately also measured the seconds before the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between USL Championship (League) and the USL Players Association (USLPA).
What is the Collective Bargaining Agreement?
Simply put, a CBA establishes a baseline for myriad issues that concern soccer players in the USL. It covers things like: contract length, minimum contract payment, health insurance, travel, image likeness compensation, and other basic needs.
The league had been operating under a CBA signed back in April 2021 and was valid through Dec. 31, 2025. According to a statement from the USLPA, in 2021 the players agreed to keep their demands minimal, understanding that the USL was in a growth phase and recognizing that the overall success of the league was important.
In August 2024, discussions between the two parties (USL & USLPA) on a new CBA began. This was sixteen months before the expiration date. Thirty-eight bargaining sessions were held between the two, in the hopes of reaching common ground. Alas, no compromise was reached before the old CBA expired.
Negotiations and discussions continued through 2026, but were not making headway. Then on February 26th, the bomb dropped.
“This week, around 90% of the player pool participated in a vote on the League’s latest proposal. Approximately 90% of the players rejected it and authorized the player-led bargaining committee to take all necessary steps, including calling a strike if negotiations fail to produce a satisfactory agreement.”
Statement by the USLPA
Strike Ups the Stakes
Ironically enough, for a negotiation that initially moved at the speed of a three-toed sloth, things have certainly picked up. So much so, that most of my research from over the weekend is now out-of-date. So below is a list of the major items at stake and a brief outline of the two sides’s positions.
- Contract Length
- As this time, both sides have agreed in principle to mandate all contracts be for 12 months.
- Under the old CBA, contracts were often only for 10 months.
- Health Insurance
- Under the old CBA, health insurance was not mandatory, but the USL claimed 80% of players were covered by club policy. That fact is difficult to confirm or deny, but the USLPA never made it a main argument.
- Again, both sides have agreed in principle that health insurance is required. But they differ on the implementation. The USLPA wants a national standardized policy; the USL wants each team to be able to provide.
- Minimum Compensation
- The old CBA had a “contract minimum” of $31,000, exclusive of housing and insurance. It also allowed clubs to sign six players at “flex minimum” contracts for $24,000 INCLUSIVE of housing stipend and insurance.
- The USLPA wants this “dual system” reduced and/or eliminated. This is still being negotiated.
- The USLPA also wants the “contract minimum” increased to $43,300 exclusive of housing and insurance.
- Image & Likeness Rights
- The old CBA had the USL pay $25,000 annually for all player image rights.
- The USLPA wants this increased to $600,000. The USL does not agree.
- “Buyout” Protection
- The old CBA allowed clubs to “buyout” two contracts per year, with no more than three in a two-year period. A buyout had to pay 50% of the total contract compensation.
- The USL proposed increasing the total payout to 75%, with decreasing percentages if the contract was multi-year.
- The USLPA wants 100% payout.
- This issue is still actively under negotiation.
How Does Pro/Rel Impact This?
In theory, the USL’s announcement of promotion and relegation back in June should not have impacted negotiations. Each USL league has it’s own CBA, and the USL Premier (recently revealed to be the top tier’s name) would need it’s own agreement in place before kicking off their inaugural season.
But in effect, the pro/rel news drop wrankled the USLPA. They were apparently not informed of this change, and claim that the media attention distracted from moving the stalled CBA talks forward. They cite the USL’s actions as proof of “bad faith” negotiation.
For Now: Business as Usual
Discussions are still ongoing, so while the threat of a strike looms large, all 25 teams have been training daily, playing friendly matches, and are ready to contest their opening day fixtures.
So yeah, the season will probably kick off without a hitch. But until an agreement is reached, the season will play out with an ominous tick-tick-tick-tick.
Sources
To read the USLPA view
— Note: most of their communication is through X or Instagram. You can find them with the handle @USLPlayers
To read the USL League view
— Note: the above link appeared on the website after the strike vote. The Wayback Machine snapshot from Feb. 23, 2026 does not include it.
