It is inexplicable that Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) could potentially be the second women’s league to fail in 10 years. 

I try to support women’s sports, but I find the WNBA nearly unwatchable; I think the LPGA and WTA are much better run sports leagues.  But at least the NBA has tried to support the WNBA. 

What isn't being done, however, is what needs to be required here: That every men’s team has a counterpart ladies’ team.

Think about it. 

The English Premier League effectively has such an arrangement.  The Japanese J-League has the women’s L-League, which despite being effectively semi-professional has promotion and relegation. They have 10 teams in the top tier, 12 teams in the second tier.

Which nation won the last Women's World Cup?

Now imagine if the United States Soccer Federation required that every Major League Soccer team (or all pro teams), in order to maintain sanctioning, MUST have a ladies' team as well. 

While we’re at it, why could they not at least require promotion and relegation in the women’s league as well? 

The stadium requirements are not as stringent for the WPS as they are for the MLS—let’s not kid ourselves.  Cities like Charleston, Virginia Beach, Knoxville, Cary, etc., could potentially earn a place in the top tier. 

Why not see if pro-rel works in America?  Or is USSF scared to have American soccer fans out of the “trained flea” mentality that “the infrastructure is not there yet?”

We're in America.  Why not dream big?

Not enough markets for pro-rel in WPS?  Not only is that not correct for WPS, it’s not even correct for MLS, not by a long shot. 

A recent article by Arturo Galleti shows that, based on economics, there are actually over 100 cities that could host an MLS team right now.  If that’s the case, there are at least that many cities for a WPS team. 

The only “lack of infrastructure” really is management infrastructure.  That’s a choice.

Only MLS’ greed in demanding absurd expansion fees keeps it from developing a true second tier. 

It would be more honorable for the Baltimores and Raleighs of America to start in a second tier and earn their way to the top. Since the WPS entry fees are obviously much smaller, absurd expansion fees aren’t an issue.

Not fair to MLS? 

Please. 

Think of the many millions of dollars taxpayers are paying for “soccer specific stadiums” that are not used most of the time. 

Maybe FIFA President Sepp Blatter was onto something with the call to move MLS’ schedule in line with Europe’s? 

One advantage would be year-round use of the stadiums.  If taxpayers (many are not soccer fans) are paying for the stadiums and subsidizing their losses, why shouldn’t they demand more activity in those venues?

Such bold thinking would bring immediate programming to television in summer.  Not everyone wants to watch baseball and NASCAR all the time, and this would be a change of pace.

Equal opportunity doesn’t mean equal outcomes. 

Sorry, but there's no way such a new league could have 38 games, nor would there be equal pay starting out.  It would more likely be regional with a shorter schedule, and frankly, that might work better. 

College football only has 12 regular season games a year, while the NFL has 16. Which sport is king in America, again?

Sometimes scarcity is a good thing, if marketed right.  Make every game matter.

Now let’s say the USSF ignores this idea. 

Let’s look at what WPS would have to do basically on its own to survive.  It would have to look at some sort of merger with Women’s League Soccer and recruit other teams from smaller cities. 

This would generate much less publicity.

It could allow USSF sanctioning (even though it's below the required eight teams) and offer that any team that wants to be a part of the pro-rel system could start in the second tier.  To match the Japanese L-League, there would be no demotion from the top tier until there are 10 teams, and the second tier’s size would be more flexible. 

It would also certainly only be in the eastern half of the country.

Yes, that could work somewhat, and WPS needs to consider that. But, come on, folks—why can’t the USSF step in and do the right thing for women’s soccer?

Another thing: WPS really should change its name.  Might I suggest “American Premier League?” 

I own the domain for that name and for “North American Premier League.”  I’d be willing to give WPS the domain if it and USSF were to do this.

Consider the number of women's teams in Philadelphia.  A 2007 story by Steven Wells said, at one time, Philadelphia had 556 girls' teams.  Imagine, with that many teams, Philadelphia losing its WPS team because the league goes under.

Why is it that the professional soccer teams do not directly run the youth development programs in their cities like in other countries?  Not partner with local governments, I mean run the programs privately. 

For crying out loud, Roma is going to set up youth programs in the United States! 

If MLS teams were given that kind of power, and local pro teams in general, it would more than justify setting up ladies’ teams.  But that kind of thinking interferes with “soccer mom” politics of having taxpayers pay millions of dollars for soccer complexes to have local non-profits control them, in many occasions with no local pro team to link to. 

Soccer field development should be the responsibility primarily of soccer teams, not the taxpayers.

This current mentality partly explains why a lot of kids start off playing soccer but eventually move on to other sports.  These non-profits are going to have to make the decision to cede control of their youth development to the professional teams for the good of the sport.

No new professional team at any level, in any sport, should be forming unless it gets control of youth development for both genders in its city. 

Now can we see why WPS is having a tough time?  It needs the revenue, publicity and community bonding, and frankly, professional teams are supposed to be better at training.

So, don’t believe the pap that “the infrastructure is not there yet” for promotion and relegation in WPS, or MLS for that matter. 

If anything, promotion and relegation is the answer.  It can be a quicker answer if the USSF does the right thing and mandates a women’s team for every MLS team.

The enactment of Title IX forever changed the way that college and high school sports operate.  While the overall benefit of increasing opportunities for women has been positive, there have been bumps in the road. 

Despite what the most ardent Title IX supporters refuse to admit, it has sometimes hurt men’s sports, hurting athletes that had nothing to do with discrimination in the past. 

I argue a lot of those issues could have been avoided with better planning and infrastructure. 

For example, artificial turf at high schools would open up many opportunities for sports for boys and girls, and it won't be long until some clever lawyer wins a lawsuit that will effectively mandate that nationwide. 

There are no excuses for taxpayers to pay for soccer specific stadiums just for one gender.

This is one time where an organization can be proactive and can take its time to do this right. 

Imagine how much it would help WPS if the USSF said in three years every MLS team had to have a women's team, and in six years pro-rel begins.  Doing so would buy time for WPS, and revolutionize American soccer and women's sports.

To do so would require a complete change of thinking at the USSF, one that ironically steps on the toes of the “soccer mom.” 

But such a change in mentality is absolutely needed to benefit the sport for all.

I am asking to please forward this article to friends and @ussoccer, @womensprosoccer and @seppblatter. Time is of the essence to save WPS. Thank you.

Dennis Justice is from Fletcher, North Carolina, and has a Bachelors Degree in Sports Management.  He currently is finishing his Masters Degree in Sports Administration at American Military University.