The lack of payment of these fees is an unspoken issue in North American development. Without having incentive to graduate players to higher levels, clubs may be motivated to hoard top talent in a futile effort to win more youth championships – plastic trophies that ultimately have no real value beyond the fleeting.
Fighting for the fair payment of these fees – fees mandated to go to the youth club – is a far more important issue than the false gold of promotion and relegation, which is what most reform minded fans often focus on.
The financial reality of the North American pyramid is such that pro/rel would only ever be possible when there is greater opportunity for lower level clubs to financially benefit from developing players.
Bluntly put: If you want to see a more open system this is a winnable and more important fight than dreaming of Chattanooga being able to get promoted to the USL (or for the Chicago Fire to fold after getting relegated to NASL).