Gulf Coast Premier League

Gulf Coast Premier League

Founded	2014
Country	United States
Confederation	CONCACAF
Number of teams	15
Domestic cup(s)	Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Current champions	Louisiana Krewe FC (2021)
Most championships	Motagua New Orleans (3)
Website	gcplsoccer.com
Current:

The Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) is a United States Adult Soccer Association affiliated Amateur Elite League that includes teams from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The regular season of the GCPL runs May through July. On August 13, 2020 it was announced that the GCPL would be the first "amateur league affiliation" of the National Independent Soccer Association^[1] after Gaffa FC and Louisiana Krewe FC competed in the NISA 2020 Independent Cup.

Louisiana Premier League[]

The Louisiana Premier League was formed in 2014 by the Louisiana Soccer Association's Adult Committee members, Jonathan Rednour and Chad Vidrine, with the assistance of Pool Boys FC founder, Jeremy Poklemba. The recent success of a similar formatted competition,^[2] administered by the LSA, in the spring of 2014 and the emergence of newly formed clubs, Pool Boys FC and Cajun Soccer Club, along with the interest from Motagua New Orleans from the ISLANO league, offered an opportunity to create a statewide elite amateur league. Motagua New Orleans won the inaugural season, defeating Cajun Soccer Club in the finals, 4-2.

On March 8, 2016 the Louisiana Premier League was granted Elite Amateur League status by the United States Adult Soccer Association.^[3]

Gulf Coast Premier League[]

On August 1, 2016 the Louisiana Premier League, sanctioned and operated by the Louisiana Soccer Association, folded to make way for the newly formed Gulf Coast Premier League. The league formed as a non-profit organization expanding itself to clubs outside Louisiana along the gulf coast.^[4]

In January 2017 the league announced three expansion teams, expanding the league footprint into Alabama and Florida.^[5] Central Texas Lobos FC were announced as a future member in June 2017.

Developmental League[]

A 4-team developmental league called the Gulf Coast Development League (GCDL) was announced and began play in May 2019.

2020 Fall Tournament Showcase[]

The League announced it would cancel its 2020 regular season due to the coronavirus epidemic but left open the possibility of a fall competition.^[6] In October 2020 the League announced the Fall Tournament Showcase featuring 5 teams: Pool Boys FC, Louisiana Krewe FC, , and new addition 14th Ward FC.^[7]

Great Plains Premier League[]

In 2019, the GCPL announced the creation of the (GPPL), an expansion conference/sister league with teams to be based in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas or Missouri. The GPPL will begin play in 2020 and the first team to join, Nebraska Bugeaters FC, would play their 2019 season as exhibition-only.^[8][9]

Teams[]

Team	City	Stadium	Founded	Inaugural season	Head Coach
Western Division
Alexandria PBFC (known as Pool Boys FC until 2020)	Alexandria, Louisiana	Wildcat Field at Louisiana College	2013	2014	Jeremy Poklemba
	Lafayette, Louisiana	LUS Fiber Field	2013	2014	John Plumbar
Central Texas Lobos FC	Buda, Texas	Bob Shelton Stadium	2015	2018	Jorge Cruz
Shreveport United	Shreveport, Louisiana	Cargill Park	2016	2018	Francois Browne
Louisiana Krewe FC	Lafayette, Louisiana	Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility	2018	2019	Joan Olivia
	Minden, Louisiana	Minden Recreational	2019	2021	Tony Southerland
Eastern Division
	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Olympia Stadium	2016	2017	Rafa Amaya Jr.
	New Orleans, Louisiana	Holy Cross School	2015	2020	Wilmer Peralta
Gaffa FC	Jackson, Mississippi	Freedom Ridge Park	2016	2017	Humberto Peláez
	Fairhope, Alabama	Fairhope Municipal Stadium	2017	2018	Gerardo Flores
	Gulfport, Mississippi		2003	2021	Oleg Chichkanov
	Mobile, Alabama	The Jungle	2010	2020	Kevin deLange
	New Orleans, Louisiana		2020	2021	Ibrahim Belkhouche
	Covington, Louisiana	Wolverine Stadium	2017	2018	Chris Penton
Pensacola FC	Pensacola, Florida		2017	2017	Austin King

Former Teams[]

• AFC Mobile (Mobile) (2017–2019, moved to National Premier Soccer League)
• BOCA FC (Shreveport) (2015–2019)
• (Hattiesburg) (2019-2020)
• Lake City Gamblers (Lake Charles) (2014–2017)
• Louisiana Fire (New Orleans) (2016–2017)
• Motagua New Orleans (New Orleans) (2014–2019)
• FC New Orleans (New Orleans) (2019–2019)
• Nicholls State University Club (Thibodaux) (2014–2015)
• (Jackson) (2018-2020)
• Port City FC (Gulfport) (2016–2019, moved to National Premier Soccer League)
• (Moss Point) (2018)
• Shreveport Rafters FC B (2016–2017)
• Tallahassee SC (Tallahassee) (2019, moved to National Premier Soccer League)

Seasons[]

References[]

External links[]

• Gulf Coast Premier League website