Top 5: National Premier Soccer League Fixes

Title of this post pretty much says it all. While NPSL gets some things right, there are a lot of things they could do far, far better. Here are the Top 5 things NPSL should fix to make sure they are around for years to come.

1. Get rid of expansion fees - Expansion fees are the curse of American Sports. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you should too! (Thanks for learning that lesson, NISA) Why on earth should an amateur men's soccer team have to pony up $17,000 PLUS a $5,000+ yearly fee just to be able to take the field? Imagine what these teams could do with an extra $17K, or how many more solid teams that don't have $17K laying around could be playing in the league right now? (Here's looking at you, Christos FC)
2. Limits on territory rights - Obviously certain cities aren't big enough to support multiple high level amateur soccer teams, like Hershey, PA, Santa Fe, NM, or Kingston, NY. But why on earth would you allow one amateur team in a place like Boston or San Francisco have a monopoly on the entire city? That's how you wind up losing the San Francisco City FC's of the world to the PDL. Set clear boundaries on what sizes of cities would be a protected territory, and which ones wouldn't. Better yet, have all territory rights expire after 5 years, so if the current team sucks, someone else can build something better.
3. Not giving teams value - Currently the only real value of playing in an amateur league is direct qualification for the US Open Cup. With the increase of pro teams in the US, however, those spots are going to start dwindling soon, and they're going to dwindle fast. So what value is the NPSL providing it's teams? Are they promoting their teams as much as they can? Are they covering player registrations as part of it's clubs yearly fees? No, they aren't. The common complaint I hear from NPSL teams is not knowing what their money actually goes towards once the check is written, which leads us to:
4. Be transparent - If you're clubs don't know how you're using their money, and they're forking over a lot of it, maybe it's time to open up and let people how you use their money to increase exposure for the league and it's teams and alleviate cost for everyone. Providing a small amount to help cover travel expenses come playoff time isn't very much, especially when so few benefit. How about cash prizes for conference winners, and the national champion, too? Heck, most NPSL teams would just take a trophy right now!
5. Get better at the little things - We're talking basic stuff. Like mentioned above, cash prizes for clubs, trophies for champions, (yeah, you don't get a trophy in NPSL for winning your conference) and no league fee the next year for those aforementioned champions. How about getting more sponsors to cover expenses at the league office, like a naming rights sponsor? Or getting two or three jersey manufacturers to offer discounts on jerseys to NPSL teams, (Paging Icarus FC and Stimulus Athletic) rather than leaving them completely out on their own? Oh, and here's a bonus Number 6!
6. Create NPSL 2 like you should have years ago and institute promotion and relegation - easy incentive to offer teams that win promotion? Cash prize, duh, with no league fee the next year! You want to win because there is money on the line! And whether or not you want to admit it, soccer all around the world at every level is all about one thing: money.

Sound of in the comments! Let me know how wrong or right I am on all this, or how much you agree with me or how strongly you disagree. Can't wait to hear from you.