USL League One is the third-division professional soccer league operated by the United Soccer League (USL) in the United States. The league was announced in 2017 and launched its inaugural season in 2019, positioned by the USL as “the foundation of professional soccer” within its three-league structure. [1]
The league’s visual identity was introduced on September 25, 2018, when the USL unveiled a new structure and brand identity for its top three leagues ahead of the 2019 season. The announcement brought USL Championship, USL League One, and USL League Two under one central brand. [2]
Design and History
The USL League One identity was created by Athletics, a New York-based creative agency that also oversaw Major League Soccer’s rebrand in 2014. [3] Athletics designed a modular logo and color system to create a flexible appearance across each league, using a shared visual language to connect the initiatives to each other and to the USL brand. [4]
Before the official brand launch, the league used a placeholder logo described as signifying “the new league being built on the foundation and success of the Division II United Soccer League,” with an official brand update expected later that year. [5]
In the official announcement, USL described League One as making “its mark with a vibrant, colorful identity” as it prepared for its 2019 debut. [2] The league’s identity was part of a broader USL rebrand that also introduced a new corporate logo for the parent organization, incorporating 13 stripes to represent the U.S. flag. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
Each of the three USL leagues was assigned a distinct color to differentiate its position in the organization’s hierarchy. USL League One adopted a brighter shade of blue, while USL Championship featured a black and gold color scheme and USL League Two maintained its heritage with a bold red logo. [7]
The color coding was designed to convey each league’s role within the USL structure. USL League One’s vibrant blue was tied to the league’s stated mission of forging “a unique identity, driven by determination, unity and inspiration.” [8]
Typography and Design
Athletics’ design team incorporated a new font style and a boxed framework for each of the USL entities. [7] The design system used a shared visual language across the leagues, with each league’s logo following the same structural format while employing its own color and identifying numeral. [4]
The typography used in the USL identity system is a geometric sans-serif called Hurme Geometric Sans No.2, which adapts different weights depending on the application. [4]
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