What Does American Sport Look Like Beyond the 4 Major Leagues?

Compared to Europe, the United States might seem like it’s lacking in sporting leagues. The NFL is the most-watched league in the country, regularly pulling in more than 16 million live viewers. Millions more follow the NFL, NHL, and MLB devoutly. However, these four major leagues are just the tip of the iceberg. Along with grassroots leagues and entry-level tournaments, other sports like soccer and volleyball are pretty well represented.

Major League Soccer (MLS)

When people talk about the major leagues, MLS is often grouped alongside the big four. However, it’s only really risen to prominence in the past few years with the arrival of more top-flight players from Europe. The league was founded in 1993, with the first playing season kicking off in 1996. In terms of competing teams and overall match numbers, it’s one of the biggest leagues in the country. Currently, there are 26 MLS teams from the USA, with a further three from Canada. The current MLS champions are Los Angeles FC, although this league is often considered anyone’s game.

Major League Rugby (MLR)

Historically, rugby has been poorly represented in the United States. That all changed in 2017 when Major League Rugby was founded. Despite being relatively young, this rugby union competition is already well established, with a dozen competing teams from across the United States and Canada. The first two events were won by the Seattle Seawolves, with the New England Free Jacks being crowned 2023 champions.

Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)

The WNBA has been around since 1996, making it one of the oldest sporting leagues in the country outside of the big four. As with the men’s NBA, there’s no shortage of top-tier talent here. Although they’re rarely spoken about in the same breath as LeBrown James and Michael Jordan, WNBA stars like Diana Taurasi and Cynthia Cooper are generally considered some of the finest basketball players of all time. The Las Vegas Aces are currently defending champions, although the previous decade was dominated by the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm.

Basketball has been a very successful sport and, although the WNBA’s numbers aren’t as high as the NBA’s, they have always generated a great attraction. The virtual basketball scene has picked up the hype behind the league, with the NBA 2K Series introducing the teams from the WNBA. Will we be able to play slots at SpinCasino featuring some of the stars of the league soon?

Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)

While there’s a growing appetite for Major League Soccer, the indoor soccer scene has been largely neglected. However, there is the MASL. It’s the biggest indoor soccer league in North America, with clubs from across the USA and Mexico. Founded in 2008, the MASL has proved incredibly popular with fans of arena soccer. Mexican squad Chihuahua Savage won the 2022-23 season, with the San Diego Shockers securing two successive victories before that. In 2017, the MASL 2 was announced. Already home to 15 teams, this league offers the perfect training platform for squads looking to break back into the mainstream.

National Volleyball Association (NVA)

The NVA is another fairly new addition to the North American sporting scene. While beach volleyball has been popular for decades, the indoor scene has failed to captivate audiences. Founded in 2017, the NVA saw its inaugural playing season the following year. The league started with eight teams, with a further four joining them in recent years. Team Pineapple took the top prize in 2018, with the most recent champions being the Las Vegas Ramblers.