United Premier Soccer League
 | |
| Founded | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF US Soccer |
| Conferences | 7 |
| Number of teams | 300+ |
| Promotion to | Division I (Internal) |
| Relegation to | Division II (Internal) |
| Domestic cup(s) | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup |
| Current champions | (1st title) () |
| Most championships | California United FC II OC Crew (2 titles each) |
| TV partners | Eleven Sports |
| Website | UPSLsoccer |
| Current: 2020 Spring | |
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is a mostly American professional development soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was founded in 2011 by Santa Ana Winds FC President Leonel López as a regional league for teams in Greater Los Angeles, but expanded to include teams from 32 states as of the 2019 UPSL season.
Two seasons are played each year, with regional play culminating in a playoff system that crowns a single national champion each season. The league features internal promotion and relegation with up to three levels in some regions; only clubs in the top tier Division I are eligible to compete for the national championship.
The league is a United States Adult Soccer Association National League, within the larger United States soccer league system.[1][2]
History[]
The UPSL was formed in 2011 with 10 teams, and has grown to include over 350 member clubs across the nation. Each UPSL team is independently owned and operated. The league consists of two seasons each calendar year, with the Spring season beginning in March and ending with national playoffs in July, and a Fall season with play beginning in September with national playoffs in December.[3]
UPSL announced it would begin promotion/relegation system beginning in 2017.[4][5] Teams will compete in two divisions: Pro Premier and Championship.
In November 2016 the UPSL announced the addition of a Colorado conference set to begin in 2017.[6][7]
In August 2017, the league announced that all eleven clubs of the Premier League of America would be joining the UPSL as a new Midwest Conference. The conference will initiate friendlies during the 2017 Fall Season and begin league play in 2018.
U.S. Open Cup[]
Former member club PSA Elite is known for reaching the fourth round of the 2014 and the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by knocking out higher-level professional teams. Three UPSL teams, La Máquina FC, L.A. Wolves FC, and San Nicolas FC qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open Cup.[8] La Máquina FC advanced to the fourth round (knocking out Portland Timbers U23, Sacramento Gold, and LA Wolves FC) before falling to LA Galaxy.[9] The UPSL's participants in the 2016 US Open Cup altogether defeated teams from the PDL (Timbers U-23), NPSL (Sacramento Gold), and USL (Orange County Blues FC).
League structure[]
The UPSL operates in a geographical conference structure with localized Divisions within each Conference. The number of Divisions within each Conference varies based on various geographical factors including distance and population. There is often more than one team within a specific geographical area. More dense Conferences are divided into a promotion/relegation structure with Division I and Division II.[10]
| Conference | Division(s) | Tier 1 | Tier 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Heart | Division I | |
| North | Division I | Division II | |
| Red River | Division I | ||
| South | Division I | Division II | |
| Midwest | Central | Division I | |
| East | Division I | ||
| West | Division I | ||
| Mountain | Colorado | Division I | |
| Utah - Idaho | Division I | ||
| Northeast | American | Division I | |
| Beltway | Division I | ||
| Long Island (New) | Division I | ||
| Patriot | Division I | ||
| Western New York (New) | Division I | ||
| Southeast | Florida - Central | Division I | |
| Florida - Palm Beach | Division I | Division II | |
| Florida - South | Division I | Division II | |
| Georgia | Division I | ||
| Gulf Coast (New) | Division I | ||
| Mid-Atlantic North | I | ||
| Mid-Atlantic South | Division I | ||
| Mid-South | Division I | ||
| Southwest | Arizona | Division I | |
| Nevada (New) | Division I | ||
| New Mexico - West Texas | Division I | ||
| Western | SoCal North | Division I | Division II |
| SoCal South | Division I | Division II | |
| Wild West | Division I |
Teams as of 2018[]
2021 Season[]
Premier Division
| Team | City/area | Stadium | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Conference | |||||
| Mid-Atlantic | American | ||||
| Warwick, NY | Hudson Sports Complex | ||||
| Warwick, NY | Hudson Sports Complex | ||||
| Yonkers, NY | Tibbetts Brook Park | ||||
| Hicksville, NY | Cantiague Park | ||||
| New York City, NY | Randall's Island Field | ||||
| New York City, NY | Aviator Sports Complex | ||||
| New York City, NY | Aviator Sports Complex | ||||
| Clifton, NJ | Athenia Steel Park | ||||
| Elizabeth, NJ | Todd Bowles Complex | ||||
| Newark, NJ | Newark Schools Stadium | ||||
| Philadelphia Lone Star FC | Wayne, PA | YSC Sports Stadium | |||
| Conshohocken, PA | Proving Grounds | ||||
| Southeast Conference | |||||
| Georgia | |||||
| Florida Central | |||||
| Florida West | |||||
| Florida South | |||||
| Mid-South Conference | |||||
| Expedition | |||||
| Bowling Green, KY | The Pitt Soccer Stadium | ||||
| Mayfield, KY | Graves County High School | ||||
| Hendersonville, TN | Lighthouse Christian Academy | ||||
| Hendersonville, TN | Lighthouse Christian Academy | ||||
| Murfreesboro, TN | Richard Siegel Park | ||||
| Murfreesboro, TN | Richard Siegel Park | ||||
| Rossville, TN | Rossville Christian Academy | ||||
| Bartlett, TN | Bartlett Boulevard Soccer Park | ||||
| Midwest Conference | |||||
| East | |||||
| Melvindale, MI | Fordson High School | ||||
| Keyworth Stadium | |||||
| Detroit, MI | Waterford-Kettering High School | ||||
| Detroit United | Detroit, MI | The Hawk - Farmington Hills | |||
| FC Berlin | Walled Lake, MI | Total Sports Park - Wixom | |||
| Hamtramck, MI | |||||
| Pontiac, MI | Total Sports Park - Wixom | ||||
| Rebels FC | Macomb County, MI | Auburn Hills Civic Center | |||
| Central | |||||
| Madison, WI | Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Sports Complex | ||||
| Bavarian Majors | Glendale, WI | Heartland Value Fund Stadium | |||
| Milwaukee, WI | St. Sava School | ||||
| Springfield, IL | Sasa Complex | ||||
| Iowa Raptors FC | Cedar Rapids, IA | Prairie High School | |||
| West | |||||
| South | |||||
| Central Conference | |||||
| North | |||||
| South | |||||
| Hearth | |||||
| Houston FC | Houston, TX | Westbury Christian School Athletic Complex | |||
| Round Rock SC | Round Rock, TX | Round Rock Multipurpose Complex | |||
| Austin, TX | St. Michael's Catholic Academy | ||||
| San Antonio, TX | SA Surf Soccer Field | ||||
| Heat Fututres | Laredo, TX | Laredo College South Campus | |||
| West Texas/NM | |||||
| Southwest Conference | |||||
| Arizona/Nevada | |||||
| Las Vegas Legends | Las Vegas, NV | Peter Johann Memorial Field | |||
| Las Vegas, NV | Peter Johann Memorial Field | ||||
| Las Vegas, NV | Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex | ||||
| Mesa, AZ | East Valley Soccer Compex | ||||
| Mesa, AZ | East Valley Soccer Compex | ||||
| FC Arizona | Gilbert, AZ | Campo Verde High School | |||
| FC Arizona U23 | Gilbert, AZ | Campo Verde High School | |||
| Olympians FC | El Mirage, AZ | Olympians Soccer Complex | |||
| Casa Grande, AZ | Grande Sports World | ||||
| Oro Valley, AZ | Naranja Park | ||||
| Western Conference | |||||
| Colorado | |||||
| Mountain | |||||
| Boise Cutthroats FC | Nampa, ID | Northwest Nazarene University Campus | |||
| Ogden, UT | Spence Eccles Sports Complex | ||||
| Ogden, UT | Spence Eccles Sports Complex | ||||
| Herriman, UT | Zions Bank Stadium | ||||
| Real Salt Lake U19 | Herriman, UT | Zions Bank Stadium | |||
| Bluffdale, UT | Summit Academy High School | ||||
| Reno, NV | North Valleys Regional Park | ||||
| Carson City, NV | Sierra Lutheran High School | ||||
| Wild West North | |||||
| Wild West South | |||||
| SoCal North | |||||
| SoCal South | |||||
Champions[]
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Santa Ana Winds FC | 4–2 | |
| 2012–13 | Santa Ana Winds FC | ||
| 2013–14 | 5–3 | ||
| 2014–15 | La Máquina FC | 4–1 | |
| 2015 | San Nicolas FC | L.A. Wolves FC | 2–0 |
| 2016 Spring | 3–1[11] | ||
| 2016 Fall | FC Anahuac | 0–0 (5–4p) | |
| 2017 Spring | L.A. Wolves FC | California Victory FC | 2–1 |
| 2017 Fall | OC Invicta FC | Santa Ana Winds FC | 3–2 |
| 2018 Spring | Milwaukee Bavarian SC | Sporting AZ FC | 3–2 |
| 2018 Fall | California United FC II | Inocentes FC | 1–1 (4–2p) |
| 2019 Spring | Tropics SC | 2–2 (4–3p) | |
| Maryland Bobcats FC | Santa Ana Winds FC | 3–1 (OT) | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Ginga Atlanta | Olympians FC | 0-0 (3-1p) | |
| 2-1 |
References[]
- ^ "United States Adult Soccer Association National Affiliates". USASA.com. USASA.
- ^ "About the National Independent Soccer Association". NISAOfficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association.
- ^ "Interview with Yan Skwara, UPSL Commissioner". Goal Nation. March 3, 2015.
- ^ "An American amateur fifth-tier league is about to introduce a pro/rel system". Top Drawer Soccer. November 1, 2016.
- ^ "United Premier Soccer League Brings Promotion And Relegation to the USA". Midfield Press. November 3, 2016.
- ^ "UPSL Expands To Colorado". Goal Nation. November 17, 2016.
- ^ "UPSL expands to Colorado, vows to bring pro/rel to American soccer". Burgundy Wave. November 19, 2016.
- ^ "Three SoCal Teams Involved in U.S. Open Cup Second Round Action Wednesday". Soccer Nation. May 18, 2016.
- ^ "HIGHLIGHTS: LA Galaxy vs. La Maquina". LA Galaxy. June 15, 2016.
- ^ "About the UPSL | United Premier Soccer League". www.upslsoccer.com. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Strikers FC Score 3-1 Victory Over San Pedro Monsters to Capture 2016 UPSL Championship". PR Log. June 28, 2016.
External links[]
- United Premier Soccer League
- United States Adult Soccer Association leagues
- Soccer leagues in the United States
- 2011 establishments in the United States
- Sports leagues established in 2011