The USL League One terminated its franchise agreement with the Northern Colorado Hailstorm, a decision announced on November 15, 2024. This followed a lawsuit filed by the Hailstorm against the league for non-payment of their $100,000 prize for winning the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup in September 2024. The league's statement cited a commitment to upholding organizational standards and protecting club ownership interests.
The Hailstorm described the termination as an unexpected and unilateral decision. Despite the termination, they intend to remain operational and are actively exploring alternative leagues for the upcoming season. Their 2024 season saw success with a 12-5-5 record and 41 points, securing second seed in the playoffs before losing in the quarterfinals.
While the league hasn't commented on a direct link, the timing of the termination following the Hailstorm's lawsuit raises questions about a possible connection between the two events.
The Northern Colorado Hailstorm is without a league.
The United Soccer League announced Thursday that it terminated the Windsor-based club’s franchise agreement with the USL League One in the third division of American professional soccer.
In an official statement, the league said the decision “reflects our commitment to uphold the standards of our organization and protect the interests of our clubs’ ownership.”
The termination came just a day after Law360 reported the club sued the league for not paying the club its $100,000 prize for winning the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup in September. Any connection between the lawsuit and termination has not been addressed by the league.
In its official statement, the Hailstorm called the termination an “unfortunate unilateral surprise decision” by the league. It also committed to stay in operation as a club and is “actively exploring” other avenues by which to play starting next season.
In addition to winning the Jägermeister Cup, Hailstorm posted its best USL League One season since joining in 2022 with 41 points (12-5-5 record). As the league’s second seed in the playoffs, it lost to the Spokane Velocity in the quarterfinals, 3-0, in what would be its last match as a member of the league.
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Originally Published: November 15, 2024 at 8:33 AM MST
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