League names new Commissioner, creates office of Commissioner to oversee league operations and creates new second division to start no later than 2018-19 season.

Ontario, California - The Major Arena Soccer League, North America’s largest arena soccer league, finished its three-day league meetings in Ontario, Calif., on Tuesday by making strides to strengthen its corporate structure by naming a new league Commissioner.

League owners named Joshua Schaub, a Minneapolis, Minn. based Sports Law Attorney, the new MASL Commissioner. In conjunction with the announcement of Schaub as the Commissioner, the owners also created the Office of the Commissioner to oversee league operations. The Office of the Commissioner will include Schaub, MASL Founder and Vice President of Business Development Kevin Milliken and Director of Operations Jon Ramin.

The league also voted in a new executive committee to advise the Office of the Commissioner, voted to create a second division professional development league and set the start and end dates for the 2016-17 regular season at the meetings. The meetings were punctuated with the successful MASL International Challenge game between teams representing the United States and Mexico, which drew 7,200 fans to Citizens Business Bank Arena, home of the Ontario Fury, the meeting’s hosts.

“I am honored and humbled to be named the MASL Commissioner,” Schaub said. “The league has a clear plan for sales growth and team stability that I am elated to immediately implement. The MASL is primed to emerge as a major sporting attraction in North America and I am honored the owners chose me to stand at the helm to help make it happen.”

The 2016-17 regular season will open the weekend of Oct. 28, 2016 and end no later than March 5, 2017. No major rule changes were made for the upcoming season.

Milliken will oversee the creation of the new second division, which could kick off as early as the 2017-18 season, but was mandated to start no later than the 2018-19 season.

The MASL’s executive committee will continue to play a significant role in shaping the league’s future. Lane Smith of the Tacoma Stars was elected President of the committee, with Ontario’s Bernie Lilavois serving as Vice President, the San Diego Sockers’ Phil Salvagio serving as Secretary, the Missouri Comets’ Brad Likens elected Treasurer, and Soles de Sonora owner Rogelio Cota serving as Board Member at large.

“This is the most energized and excited I have been in two years,” said Milliken. “I am really excited to shift my focus to expanding the league’s footprint with the newly voted in second division, implementing a plan for aggressive growth for our sport of arena soccer internationally, and at the grassroots level.” 

## MASL ##

ABOUT THE MAJOR ARENA SOCCER LEAGUE

The MASL was formed in 2014 by teams from the Professional Arena Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. The league represents the highest level of professional arena soccer in the world, and features 18 teams across North America, with teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico.