As part of collection of teams bent on defecting from the United Soccer League, it helped form the North American Soccer League.

The band of rebels didn't get the a-OK from American soccer's governing body largely because it was afraid both leagues would fail without one another.

With all that worked out — the U.S. Soccer Federation told the leagues to merge — minor league soccer has something else to consider when it comes to financial survival: Ticket sales.

After all, if there's one thing this whole merging of leagues has created, it's a late, late jump on sales.

And that becomes problematic when nobody knows when teams are playing.

It's about time someone gave us a schedule. The USSF said it would have one "next week" — nearly three weeks ago.

College football understands the importance of releasing a schedule early so that fans have plenty of time to schedule out weekend plans and gobble up season tickets. That starts in September. The schedules come out in February.

This soccer league — called simply "Division II league" unless a corporate sponsor steps forward — will also be releasing its schedule in February. But the season is expected to start in March.

The longer the USSF holds off on scheduling, the more its second-division teams suffer at the box office.

Indeed, fans may pack the stands later in the year, but time is money.

It's not what any franchise needed. If only because it's assured that NASL and USL will try once again next year to form their own respective leagues and get that approval from the USSF that eluded each this season when questions arose about each one's long-term sustainability.

A good place to start reassuring the federation is to show monetary gain, more people in seats and patrons walking through turnstiles.

All of which can't be done until we get a schedule.