 | |
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2010 |
| Country | United States |
| Other club(s) from | Canada, Puerto Rico |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of teams | 11–12 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | None |
| Relegation to | None |
| Domestic cup(s) | U.S. Open Cup, Canadian Championship |
| International cup(s) | CFU Club Championship |
| Last champions | Puerto Rico Islanders (2010) |
| Most championships | Seattle Sounders Vancouver Whitecaps (2 titles each) |
| TV partners | Fox Soccer Channel |
| Website | usl1 |
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system behind Major League Soccer. It was operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL) and was known as the A-League, from 1997 until 2004.
Several teams left the league in 2009 to form the new North American Soccer League, with the intent of running their own second-tier league. Following a brief legal dispute, the two leagues operated in tandem under United States Soccer Federation (USSF) mediation as the USSF Division 2 Professional League in 2010 before the split became final. The teams that remained in the First Division were merged with the USL Second Division in 2011 to form USL Pro.