USL Players Association agree to terms to restart USL Championship season

Good news for Sacramento Republic and the rest of the USL Championship, as the league announced late last week they have come to an agreement with the USL Players Association to restart the 2020 season.

The league and USLPA’s joint release:

The USL Championship and the USL Players Association announced today that they have reached a formal agreement on a return to play for the 2020 season. The two sides are now actively preparing for a July 11 restart to the 2020 Championship season and will resume negotiations on a historic first Collective Bargaining Agreement in the coming weeks.

The USL Championship season was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, most teams, including Sacramento Republic, having played only one game. The plan is for teams to start playing on or after July 11 in home venues, although specific schedule and format details have yet to be released publicly.

Meanwhile, coronavirus appears to be on the rise in many parts of the country, including California. What would the plan be if a player tests positive? If many players test positive? With the Orlando Pride opting out of the NWSL Challenge Cup entirely because too many players tested positive this week, it’s an answer the USL may need to have at the ready out of necessity.

But for now, the plan is to proceed, and we’ll possibly see Sac Republic in action again in a few weeks. In the meantime, the league also paved the way for teams to begin full-team training sessions, provided they are given local approval to do so, to gear up for the games starting up again.

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