Phil Friend

phillip.friend@indystar.com

The future of the North American Soccer League and, thus, the Indy Eleven, is murky.

While rumors of the NASL's troubles have been discussed on social media and soccer circles for some time, a bleak picture was painted by Sports Illustrated last month, amidst speculation that up to five teams will either fold or depart for a different league.

One club not worried about the NASL's future: the Indy Eleven.

A club official told IndyStar the team "is already planning for our participation in the North American Soccer League in 2017. We look forward to knowing more details about the season following league meetings in the coming days."

Multiple interview requests for Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir and team President Jeff Belskus were turned down by the club.

Starting on the weekend of Sept. 23, NASL owners gathered for what league chairman and Jacksonville Armada FC owner Mark Frisch called on Twitter a "summit," but what resolutions came out of those meetings have not been disclosed. It had originally been reported as an official Board of Governors meeting.

Two questions remain: 1) What teams will remain in the NASL? 2) If teams leave, what options are there to replace them?

The NASL is currently at 12 teams, but Minnesota United is leaving for Major League Soccer. The status of Fort Lauderdale and Rayo OKC are in question for next season because of ownership issues.

Ottawa and Edmonton FC's futures are unclear, too. Both clubs appear interested in being part of a potential Canadian soccer league. If that league starts in 2018 as hinted at by Sports Illustrated, it's unlikely they'd bolt for the United Soccer League and pay an expansion fee to be in the league for just one season.

"At this time the focus of our club is on the current NASL season. We will address this topic at an appropriate time," an Ottawa club spokesman told IndyStar.

A story on Canadian soccer site the11.ca says Ottawa hasn't requested a move to USL through the Canadian Soccer Association, which would be a requirement.

Tampa Bay is also potentially targeting USL, according to Sports Illustrated.

The NASL is classified as a second-division league by the U.S. Soccer Federation, one level up from the USL. But 20 of the 29 USL teams have an affiliation with an MLS club, eight of which are official MLS reserve teams. No NASL teams have an official affiliation with the MLS. Three more USL teams are slated to join in the next two years.

If all five teams were to depart, that would leave the NASL at eight teams with the San Francisco Deltas set to join next season. The NASL would receive a boost if a rumored expansion team such as Chicago comes to fruition. But that appears more likely to happen in 2018. Former Indy Eleven President Peter Wilt left the club in part to start the Chicago NASL franchise.

According to the United State Soccer Federation Professional Standards, the NASL must have at least 12 teams to retain its second-division status since the league is in its sixth year of existence.The NASL must also have teams in three U.S. time zones (Eastern, Central and Pacific) for 2017. If Rayo OKC folds or moves to a city in a different time zone, or a Chicago team isn't ready by 2017, that leaves the NASL with two U.S. time zones.

At one point, the NASL petitioned for first-division status — and even considered litigation — but backed off. USL is currently petitioning to move from third- to second-division status. Both leagues could share second-division status or the NASL and USL could swap divisions.

Although there are benefits to having second- or third-division status, there is no promotion/relegation in the United States, so clubs don't move up or down the leagues based on individual season performances. Second-division clubs may have advantages with advertisers and luring more talented players, but third-division status hasn't hurt USL efforts to draw big crowds in Cincinnati and Louisville.

A lot of the NASL's problems would be solved if it dropped to the third division. Third-division leagues only need to meet the following requirements:

Eight teams (with no requirement for expansion).

Stadium seating capacity of 1,000.

$250,000 bond before the next season, as opposed to $750,000 for second division.

Principal owner only needs a net worth of $10 million and to own 35 percent of team, whereas it's $20 million and 40 percent, respectively, in second division.

No metropolitan population or time zone requirements.

In addition to the standards mentioned above, second-division status also requires having 75 percent of the league's teams playing in a market of 750,000 people and a stadium seating capacity of 5,000.

But the NASL is not interested in the third division.

The league released a statement Sept. 22 saying its "dedicated owners remain undaunted in the challenge to reach their long-term goals, and are in the midst of a series of meetings and discussions to ensure that the 2017 season lays the groundwork for an exciting future."

There are also attendance problems for the NASL, down 18 percent across the board. The Eleven led the league with an average of 9,809 last year, but attendance is down 16 percent — to 8,216 — despite the franchise fielding a winning team this season.

Sports Illustrated reported four NASL teams have yet to pay their bond for next season. Indy is not one of those four teams. Other core clubs like the New York Cosmos, Jacksonville and Miami have stated their intention to remain in the NASL.

When the league was formed seven years ago, the idea was not to play second fiddle to MLS. But the NASL's history has been muddled.

Aaron Davidson, the former NASL chairman and president of Traffic Sports (which owns the Carolina Railhawks), was included in last summer's FIFA corruption busts. Davidson was charged with bribery, racketeering and wire fraud, banned by the FIFA Ethics Committee and forced to resign from his NASL responsibilities.

In 2014, Fort Lauderdale sold midfielder Walter Restrepo to San Antonio for free lodging and transportation for the team's two visits that season.

Team turnover has also been high for a league that hasn't yet finished its sixth season. Original member Atlanta departed for the National Premier Soccer League, and San Antonio folded. Montreal spent one season in the NASL before moving to MLS in 2012, and the Puerto Rico Islanders (not to be confused with current team Puerto Rico FC) folded after two seasons.

The Eleven, the spring-season champions, will get a chance to play for the 2016 NASL title. Whether there is a 2017 championship to play for remains to be seen.