With DA dropping out the game there is some money on the table for USL franchises to go after, but its a long shot. Keep in mind USL has 3 tiers so I am talking about the first tier. Third tier clubs that have teams include Cedar Stars and Manhattan SC, but they just play to make some extra money and pitch it to the young kids in the club. These clubs are not launching a full USL youth academy.
In the tri-state NY market the problem is Red Bull and (soon) NYCFC will have their second teams playing in USL and they have their own youth academies so USL will have to compete with the MLS youth academies. This concept may work in a market that does not overlap with MLS, but I don't see it working in tri-state NY. It will be tough to recruit a kid in a USL academy vs. NYCFC or Red Bull academy which has a pro player pathway. It all comes down to money and fields (which is really what separates most of the top clubs from the rest of the pack in youth soccer).
Will the USL academy be fully funded and free for the player or pay to play ? If its free they can compete. If not, I don't see players paying a premium to be on a USL academy
You also have to sort through field issues. To get the USL youth academy you need a USL pro player team stadium / infrastructure to secure a franchise and that is usually a big deal breaker in this region. If you look at the current USL teams, beyond Philly Union and Red Bull second teams (and soon NYCFC as they are converting their old U18/19 DA team into a USL team in early 2021) this is why you see no franchise anywhere close to our region.
David Villa announced he is part of a group (Queensboro FC) launching a USL franchise in Queens and playing at York College starting 2022