Amanda Vandervort to Exit USL Super League Presidency on Friday

Amanda Vandervort is stepping down as USL Super League president this Friday following a five-year tenure that saw the league achieve first-division status.

Amanda Vandervort will conclude her tenure as the highest-ranking official of the USL Super League this Friday, August 28, 2026. The United Soccer League announced her departure on Monday, noting she is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Vandervort has served as the league's president since its founding five years ago, overseeing a period of significant structural shifts and regulatory milestones within American women's professional soccer.

Under Vandervort’s leadership, the USL Super League secured sanctioning from U.S. Soccer as a first-division league, placing it on the same tier as the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). This designation followed a strategic pivot from the organization's initial plans, which originally aimed to launch as a second-division competition. The league currently consists of eight active teams, following the dissolution of Spokane Zephyr FC, which folded in May after the conclusion of the second season.

Transition in Leadership and Operations

USL president and CEO Paul McDonough will remain actively involved in the management of the Super League while a search for Vandervort’s successor is conducted. Betsy Haugh continues in her role as the vice president of strategy and development for the league. During her time in office, Vandervort represented the broader USL organization—which encompasses several men’s leagues—on the professional council of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors.

The league is currently two weeks into an abbreviated fall season. This shortened schedule serves as a transitional period as the organization shifts its competitive calendar. While the Super League operated on a fall-to-spring schedule during its first two years, officials decided earlier in 2026 to align with the NWSL’s spring-to-fall footprint starting in 2027.

Collective Bargaining and League Growth

Vandervort was a key member of the leadership team that recently finalized terms for the first collective bargaining agreement for USL Super League players. This labor agreement covers hundreds of athletes across the USL umbrella. McDonough credited Vandervort with the major undertaking of building a professional league from the ground up, expressing gratitude for her commitment to the clubs and the expansion of opportunities for women in the sport.

In her departing statement, Vandervort expressed pride in the community-focused professional environment built during her five-year term. She noted that she believes the current timing is right to close this chapter of her career and intends to support the league's teams from the stands in the future.

Professional Background and Career History

Before her appointment as the inaugural president of the USL Super League, Vandervort served as the chief women’s football officer for FIFPRO, the global association for professional players. Her experience in the American soccer landscape includes nearly ten years in various roles at Major League Soccer (MLS). Additionally, she worked within Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), a now-defunct first-division league, during its launch year in 2009.

Her departure comes as the league continues to navigate its new status as a top-flight entity. The search for a new president is underway to lead the eight remaining clubs through the upcoming calendar shift and the implementation of the new collective bargaining terms.