This Isn’t About Sunil Gulati. It’s About the Future of Soccer in America.

No one knows this document [US Soccer Federation bylaws] better than Sunil Gulati and Dan Flynn. They’ve overseen it’s writing and amendments. They were there when we had term limits in the past. They were part of the contingent who felt snake bitten when Alan Rothenberg was forced out as President after two terms and yielded the seat to Dr. Bob Contagulia who beat out then-USYS President Larry Monaco. Sunil was Vice President then. Dr. Bob is a nice man. He wasn’t the best USSF President and he knew it. He served honorably and stepped aside. And Sunil Gulati stepped up to the plate. In 2006 he ran for US Soccer President unopposed.

I remember the day, genuine excitement. Aside from being a Connecticut guy and have started with CJSA in the 80s, he was always someone I saw hustling. He was never afraid to do the work necessary for our sport to grow — and at that time we had a tremendous amount of growing to do. We have. He deserves much of the credit for that. He also has taken a number of missteps.

I’m not going to do a deep dive into Friday’s conference call. It was an opportunity lost, to do the right thing. The right thing is to tackle his future. Bruce “officially” resigning was the headline they wanted, but it would have been a tremendous disappointment if it had been the headline written. By many, it wasn’t. Sunil’s “take responsibility but going nowhere” approach was met correctly with skepticism, disappointment and frustration.

I have a personal relationship with Sunil, not a close one but we certainly know who each other are. And my disappointment here is that those of us who are publicly standing up to ask him to step aside for the good of soccer in America aren’t making this personal, he is.

I don’t know the bylaws inside and out. I don’t need to. I’m not running for US Soccer President. But I do know good governance. And so here are the first four (of probably a significant number) of suggestions for what I recommend those angling to facilitate change should do moving forward.

DELAY THE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE. I know a lot of people won’t like this. And politically this would require tremendous organization and leadership from some current members of the National Council. But this is a two-for-one special. One, it allows time for open, honest and transparent debate about the future of American soccer. Two, it moves the Presidential Election to when it should be, AFTER THE WORLD CUP every four years, remember Jurgen’s timely contract extension?

We’re at a point now where this is a huge decision that will garner national attention and should serve to be a bridge to supporters across the spectrum who will never have the opportunity to vote Roger Goodell out of the Commissioner’s Chair. This deserves a once-every-four-year standalone gathering with public access (I would also propose having the MNT & WNT play in the same city, back to back nights or a doubleheader around this event).

OPEN UP THE VOTE. At the AGM in Orlando put forward a motion that opens the vote for Officers of US Soccer up to the “MEMBERSHIP OF US SOCCER.” US Soccer several years ago began a membership program (I am a member). This is the opportunity to roll that program out to the masses.

Again, a two-for-one suggestion that shifts the power structure of the sport from the backrooms to those stakeholders who are vested in the organization and soccer. Simultaneously this one decision has the potential to propel growth and interest in the sport not seen since hosting the World Cups the 90s. How?

ONE MILLION MEMBERS. That would be my target, although that number could be a dramatic underestimation of the potential interest you might see from people coming out of the woodwork to have a voice. Between February and September (when the 2018 Special Presidential Election would be held) all $50 memberships are syphoned off from the General Fund (which at $100M currently can afford a short diet). Instead that money gets directed into an escrow account to fund the prizes of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the TBA Women’s Open Cup.

Currently $250,000 awaits the winner of the event. $60,000 for the runner-up and $15,000 for the amateur team that advances the furthest. For 2019, that number could be bumped 10x to $2.5M for the winner of the Men’s and Women’s Event. $600,000 to the runners up and $150,000 to the last standing amateurs.

If we hit the target of 1M members, that would leave $43,500,000 to endow (and grow) the prize of that event going forward. And wait until the marketing, sponsorship and tv deals start to generate profits that can be reinvested into the game at every level. These should (and can be) the largest annual properties in the USSF’s portfolio.

PAY THE PRESIDENT. $100,000 a year. $75,000 for the other officers. That’s $325,000 +/- that we can afford and that should be paid to remove the hurdle for someone qualified to serve but unable to because they’re not rich and/or they don’t have a job with the flexibility to run around the world and still collect that income. To pay for most of this, I would recommend capping the CEO (remembering USSF is a non-profit) at $500,000, which seems more than fair (currently in the $750,000 range) to have the privilege of running the day to day operations of US Soccer.

It’s not personal. I don’t want to run Sunil out of Soccer House. In fact, I think the greatest tribute to his legacy would be to serve out the year, planning for the future WHILE himself bring forward a new era by showing everyone that he has served as President of all of US Soccer and not just a group of investors. But first he needs to announce he will not seek a 4th term.

Remember, we can be great. But we all have to have a stake in the outcome and a voice in the process.

PS. While my suggestions are lofty and idilc and unlikely to be adopted, Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy wrote this about the election that is well worth your time to read.