Annual # of Soccer Teams

Here’s an ongoing list of the number of teams at each level of men’s outdoor soccer in the US and Canada (and occasionally the Caribbean) since the start of (the) Major League Soccer in 1996. For anyone asking, I don’t include the NPSL because I don’t take the NPSL seriously. Supposedly they had 48 teams in 2012 or something, some of which played as many as six games. When they showed up for scheduled games at all.

Year Div. I Div II Div III PDL TOTAL USL
1996 10 28 27 34 99 89
1997 10 24 39 30 103 93
1998 12 28 39 33 112 100
1999 12 30 26 42 110 98
2000 12 25 22 44 103 91
2001 12 21 17 45 95 83
2002 10 18 18 47 93 83
2003 10 19 13 50 92 82
2004 10 16 12 55 93 83
2005 12 12 9 54 87 75
2006 12 12 10 59 93 81
2007 13 12 10 63 98 85
2008 14 11 10 67 102 88
2009 15 11 9 69 104 89
2010 16 12 6 68 102 *80
2011 18 8 **12 64 102 76
2012 19 8 11 73 111 84
2013 19 #8 13 65 105 78

*Counting half of the USSF D2 Pro League as “USL teams” and half as NASL teams.
**Not counting the three Puerto Rico teams who started the season but were ousted early on.
#Total of 7 in the Spring Season, 8 in the Fall Season.