USL News Release
Friday, December 7, 2007
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Friday details for the 2008 USL W-League season, which will see two divisions swap conferences for the upcoming campaign. Among the details finalized recently at the 2007 Annual General Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, FL were the alignment, schedule and playoff details for the upcoming campaign.
The W-League will consist of 41 teams in 2008. The biggest change in the alignment is the shifting of the Northern Division to the Central Conference and the Atlantic Division’s move to the Eastern Conference. Several teams were also re-aligned to accommodate the new divisional adjustments.
“The time had come to take a step back and look at the overall alignment without divisional groupings and make adjustments based on the interest of the overall long-term health of the league and its member teams,” said W-League Director of Operations Kristin Lettiere. “We believe 2008, the league’s 14th season, will be an outstanding campaign with this fresh look to the alignment along with 10 new clubs in the league this year. The new rivalries created by the re-alignment and the influx of the new teams should bring a new excitement for W-League fans everywhere.”
Expansion teams that have been formally announced to date are the Kalamazoo Outrage, FC Indiana, Carolina RailHawks, Pali Blues and Connecticut. The Carolina Dynamo will also make a return to the league after a year’s absence. Additional expansion teams yet to be announced will be in Tampa (FL), West Virginia, Los Angeles and Ventura (CA).
All teams in the league, excluding the Western Conference, will play a 14-game regular season schedule. The Western Conference sides will play a 12-game season. The season will open May 2 and close July 20.
The playoffs will begin almost immediately with a midweek divisional playoff round. The three Conference Championship Tournaments will be held July 25-27. The W-League Championship Tournament will be held August 1 and 3. The W-League Championship host is determined via a bid process with the host team receiving a bye to the W-League Semifinals August 1.
W-League Alignments and Playoff Structure by Conference
Central Conference
Midwest Division: Chicago Gaels, Cleveland Internationals, Fort Wayne Fever, FC Indiana, Kalamazoo Outrage, Michigan Hawks, Minnesota Lightning, West Michigan Firewomen
Northern Division: Hamilton Avalanche, Laval Comets, London Gryphons, Ottawa Fury, Rochester Raging Rhinos, Toronto Lady Lynx, Vermont Lady Voltage, Western Mass Lady Pioneers
Central Conference Playoffs: The playoffs open with a Divisional Round between the second and third-place teams in the Northern Division hosted by the higher seed. The winner of the Divisional Round will advance to the conference tournament with the regular season Northern Division champion and the top two teams from the Midwest Division. The top seeds will play the lower seeds from the opposite division in the conference semifinals. The conference champion will advance to the W-League Championship Tournament. The regular season conference champion has the first right to host the conference tournament if they meet the pre-established hosting requirements.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division: Atlanta Silverbacks, Bradenton Athletics, Carolina Dynamo, Carolina RailHawks, Charlotte Lady Eagles, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Richmond Kickers Destiny, Tampa (TBA), West Virginia (TBA)
Northeast Division: Boston Renegades, Connecticut, Fredericksburg Lady Gunners, Jersey Sky Blue, Long Island Rough Riders, New Jersey Wildcats, New York Magic, Northern Virginia Majestics, Washington Freedom
Eastern Conference Playoffs: The playoffs open with a Divisional Round between the second and third-place teams in the Northeast Division hosted by the higher seed. The winner of the Divisional Round will advance to the conference tournament with the regular season Northern Division champion and the top two teams from the Atlantic Division. The top seeds will play the lower seeds from the opposite division in the conference semifinals. The conference champion will advance to the W-League Championship Tournament. The regular season conference champion has the first right to host the conference tournament if they meet the pre-established hosting requirements.
Western Conference
Alignment: Fort Collins Force, Los Angeles (TBA), Pali Blues, Real Colorado Cougars, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, Ventura (TBA)
Western Conference Playoffs: The regular season conference champion will play host to the second-place finisher in the Conference Championship match. The winner advances to the W-League Championship Tournament.
