Amanda Vandervort will leave her position as USL Super League president “to pursue other opportunities,” the United Soccer League announced on Monday.
Vandervort has been the USL Super League’s highest-ranking employee since it was founded five years ago. The Super League is sanctioned as a first division women‘s league by U.S. Soccer, like the National Women’s Soccer League.
“From the beginning, we set out to create more opportunities for women in the game and more communities where professional women’s sports are celebrated, and I’m proud of the league we’ve built together,” Vandervort said in a statement.
Vandervort also represented the entire USL, which includes several men’s leagues and hundreds of players under the umbrella, on the pro council of U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors.
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A USL spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the league’s future leadership structure. Betsy Haugh is the league’s vice president. Vandervort’s last day is Friday.
Under Vandervort, the USL Super League pivoted from initial plans to launch as a second division to launch as a first division in 2024.
Vandervort was also part of the USL leadership team that recently agreed to terms for the first collective bargaining agreement for USL Super League players.
“Building a professional league from the ground up is a major undertaking, and Amanda deserves a lot of credit for her leadership and the work it took to make it happen,” USL president and CEO Paul McDonough said in a statement.
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“We’re grateful for her commitment to our leagues, our clubs and creating more opportunities for women in the game. We wish her all the best in what’s next.”
The USL Super League is two weeks into its fall season, which is an abbreviated competition as it shifts its calendar. The league played its first two seasons on a fall-to-spring calendar but decided earlier this year to align with the NWSL’s spring-to-fall footprint beginning in 2027.
Eight teams currently compete in the league. Spokane Zephyr FC folded after the second season ended in May.
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“I’m grateful for the trust, partnership, and belief so many people brough to this work, and for the opportunity USL gave me to be part of building something new,” Vandervort said.
“I believe deeply in the people and clubs who will carry the league forward, and I’ll continue to cheer on our incredible teams from the stands. For me, it feels like the right time to close this chapter and I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
Prior to joining the USL, Vandervort was the chief women’s football officer of FIFPRO, the global player’s association. She worked in various roles at MLS for nearly a decade before that and worked in the now defunct Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) when that first division launched in 2009.
