u/Virtual-Boat-7725

I'm surprised that there isn't at least a little Nike or Adidas. I understand that Capelli and Hummel probably offer clubs that next level of customisation which is important but I was a bit surprised that all the kits are made by only two different suppliers?

In USL C, 9 are made by Hummel, Charly have 4 clubs, and then Capelli and Adidas have three each.

Does anyone know why Charly don't do any USL L1 teams? I think they always seem to do clean, cool looking designs but my guess would be that they're too expensive for these teams?

*DISCLAIMER: This is hypothetical and a bit of fun, please don't hunt me with pitchforks*

I know this idea gets brought up fairly often, so this is purely hypothetical and I'm not talking about the current USL structure. I don't think a Hawaii team would work today.

This would only really become possible if:

• USL Premier and Championship become financially stable.
• League One is successfully regionalised into conferences (with something like West Coast/Central/Northeast/Southeast).
• There are enough western clubs to minimise travel.

With that in mind, I mocked up a soccer layout at Les Murakami Stadium (UH baseball). I also get that USL is trying to avoid expanding into baseball grounds but the only other potential ground would be the football one next to it or Waipi'O Stadium.

The pitch would be 93.5 x 67.7m, which is smaller than ideal but still a realistic size for a converted venue. By running one touchline along the first-base line, the furthest away front row seats are only around 27m from the pitch, and the field fits without extending onto the warning track, leaving runoff space behind the goals.

The idea would be to:

• Make the end behind the goal the active supporters' section, with the student section beside it.
• Use the Bud Light Bullpen as a standing food/beer area overlooking the pitch.
• Install temporary seating that can be removed after games along the opposite touchline.
• Build a permanent TV camera tower outside the outfield fence so broadcasts have a proper angle with the main grandstand as the backdrop.

Les wouldn't be the long-term home, but I think it'd be a great way to establish a club without spending tens of millions on a soccer-specific stadium before you've proven demand.

Travel is obviously the biggest hurdle, but there are ways to reduce the impact if the league structure allowed it:

• Hawaii could do 2–4 week mainland road trips instead of flying back and forth every week.
• Visiting teams could fly together, play Wednesday/Saturday "paired" trips to make one Hawaii flight cover two matches. While one team plays midweek, the other could train, then the other team plays on weekend and the other team trains.
• If inter-conference games are required, Hawaii could even play some of those from a mainland training base rather than making eastern clubs fly across the Pacific.

The bigger challenge, in my opinion, isn't travel, it's building a fanbase. Hawaii has plenty of entertainment options already, so I don't think trying to sell it as "top-level professional soccer" is enough. I'd lean heavily into becoming Hawaii's club with strong local branding, student engagement through UH, and merchandise that appeals beyond soccer fans (similar to how clubs like Como and Venezia have built a lifestyle/fashion identity). I think Hawaii could easily target this as a big financial opportunity.

Curious what people think. If USL's lower divisions become regional and financially stronger over the next decade, could a Hawaii club actually become viable, or is the travel hurdle simply too much regardless?