In a developing story, broken by Apyramid_blog on twitter, the NPSL has decided to keep the club fees for 2020, regardless of the fact that the league has cancelled the season. In an internal email, sent from a journalistic source, the league explained it’s rational.

“The NPSL believes the best thing for soccer in the United States is to ensure that we have a strong platform for teams like yours, and thus we optimize for keeping the league healthy, operational, and moving forward. Therefore, we were focused on finding a healthy balance between keeping the league healthy and sustained for years to come, while also providing relief for our teams. As we considered the sustainability of the league, heavily factored was the NPSL brand and where the league is positioned in the U.S. market. We are a year-round business, providing a platform for teams to build a business in their communities that has year-round relevance and a vision for the future. We have a small but high-level staff supporting that model and we are known for the level of professionalism and quality with which the league is operated and managed.”

Because of this, the league decided to keep the entirety of the $5,500 fees that were assessed to each club on entry to the 2020 season. What the league did offer to clubs was a credit - “Teams will receive a $2000 credit effective immediately.The league will review other ways to give more relief in the future. This is a credit refund as opposed to a cash refund. Credits will be applied to balances and benefits teams that see their future in the NPSL.”

Many clubs are not happy about this news and one NPSL club owner speculated that “30-40% of the league could be lost” with a “bunch of the clubs going to the UPSL.”

Things are challenging and appear to be getting worse.