The 2018 National Premier Soccer League season was part of the 106th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and the 16th season of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Elm City Express was the defending champion.
The 2018 NPSL champion qualifies to play for the 2019 Hank Steinbrecher Cup organized by the United States Adult Soccer Association. The NPSL has elected to use results of the 2018 league season to determine which NPSL clubs qualify for the 2019 U.S. Open Cup. The United States Soccer Federation has not yet determined how many berths for the U.S. Open Cup will be awarded to NPSL clubs.
Miami FC 2 defeated FC Motown on the road, 3–1, to win the 2018 NPSL championship. Dylan Mares was named Man of the Match.
Changes from 2017 The Atlantic Blue Conference and the Atlantic White Conference were merged to form the North Atlantic Conference. The top four teams in the new conference qualify for the conference playoffs.
Only three teams in the Mid-Atlantic Conference qualify for the conference playoffs instead of four teams as in 2017. The top team gets a bye to the conference final.
With the number of conferences in the Northeast Region reduced from four to three, a wildcard team qualifies for the region semifinals. The wildcard team is the conference final loser with the best regular-season record.
The East and West Divisions of the Southeast Conference are eliminated, and conference playoff qualification is determined on the basis of conference standings.
The Lone Star Conference is divided into groups: Red, White and Blue. Teams play the other members of their group twice and other conference members only once. Lone Star Conference playoff qualification is based on standings in the group, not the conference. The top two group winners receive the first and second seeds and a bye to the conference semifinals. The remaining group winner receives the third seed and plays in the conference quarterfinals along with each group's second-place team.
Northwest Conference teams play each other three times instead of two.
Following the expansion of the Golden Gate Conference, members play each other twice instead of three times.
South Region Semifinal matchups are predetermined based on pairings of specific conferences and not based on region seeding. The Southeast Conference champion plays the Sunshine Conference champion, and the Lone Star Conference champion plays the Heartland Conference champion. Hone-field advantage for the region semifinals is based on region seeding.
The Golden Gate Conference receives an additional berth to the West Region playoffs, and the region wildcard berth is eliminated. The Southwest Conference continues to have three berths in the West Region playoffs, but the conference's third seed is determined by a play-in game between the third- and fourth-place teams. West Region Quarterfinal matchups are predetermined based on placing within the conference and not based on region seeding. West Region teams are seeded and bracketed for the semifinals.
Greater Binghamton FC Thunder moved from the Keystone Conference in the Northeast Region to the East Conference in the Midwest Region. The move puts the Thunder in the same conference as three other New York state teams: FC Buffalo, the Rochester Lancers and Syracuse FC. The other four New York state NPSL teams, the Brooklyn Italians, Kingston Stockade FC, New York Athletic Club and the New York Cosmos B, all play in the new North Atlantic Conference in the Northeast Region.
Teams Eighteen new clubs joined the NPSL for the 2018 season, including one that returned from a one-year hiatus, and 16 teams departed. Jacksonville Armada FC replaced Jacksonville Armada U-23, the organization's B squad, after the 2018 North American Soccer League season was cancelled. The Clarkstown SC Eagles merged with FC Motown. The resulting combined team used the FC Motown name and played its home matches in Madison, New Jersey.
Ninety-eight teams competed in the NPSL during the 2018 season.
Incoming teams Team LocationNotesAcademica SCStanislaus County, CaliforniaJoined from LIGA NorCalAtlantic City FCGalloway Township, New JerseyExpansionEssex, MarylandExpansionBrownsville, TexasExpansionCharlottesville, VirginiaPreviously an amateur team called Aromas Café FCCleveland SC University Heights, Ohio ExpansionGrandview Heights, OhioExpansionYolo County, CaliforniaExpansionSan Francisco, CaliforniaJoined from San Francisco Soccer Football LeagueExpansionGreenville FCGreenville, South CarolinaExpansionKaty 1895 FCGreater Houston, TexasExpansionLaredo HeatLaredo, TexasJoined from PDLMiami FC 2Miami Gardens, FloridaExpansion, second team of NASL franchiseRed Bank, New JerseyExpansionLeesburg, VirginiaExpansionSaint Louis Club AtleticoSt. Louis, MissouriExpansionStorm FCPembroke Pines, FloridaReturned from one-year hiatus; club listed on NPSL website without any official announcement of return
Moved and/or rebranded teams Team Previous Name Location Previous LocationNotesASC San DiegoAlbion SC ProsSan Diego, CaliforniaRebrandEmerald Force SCKnoxville ForceKnoxville, TennesseeRebrandJacksonville, FloridaMain team replaced reserve side after 2018 NASL season was cancelled.Kitsap PumasKitsap SCKitsap County, WashingtonRebrandMidland-Odessa FCMidland, TexasRebrandMadison, New JerseyMerger, rebrand and movePalm Beach UnitedBeaches FCPalm Beach Gardens, FloridaJupiter, FloridaRebrand and moveTorch FCBuxmont Torch FCTowamencin Township, PennsylvaniaPerkasie, PennsylvaniaRebrand; home matches still played in Bucks ("Bux") and Montgomery ("Mont") Counties.Nockamixon Township, Pennsylvania
Outgoing teams Team Location NotesBirmingham HammersBirmingham, AlabamaJoined PDLRock Hill, South CarolinaNot listed on NPSL websiteCity of Angels FCLos Angeles, CaliforniaNot listed on NPSL websiteCleveland, OhioMembership terminated; not in good financial standing with NPSL.Glendora, CaliforniaMembership terminated; not in good financial standing with NPSL.Dallas City FCDallas, TexasNot listed on NPSL websiteDayton DynamoDayton, OhioHiatus for 2018 before planned 2019 professional relaunch.Fredericksburg FCFredericksburg, VirginiaNot listed on NPSL websiteKraze UnitedOrlando, FloridaNot listed on NPSL websiteLansing UnitedEast Lansing, MichiganJoined PDLMemphis City FCMemphis, TennesseeJoined PDLMiami Fusion FCMiami, FloridaFoldedMichigan Stars FCBerkley, MichiganSuspended operations for 2018Pierce County FCBurien, Washington (in King County, three matches)Suspended operations for 2018; franchise up for sale.Seacoast United PhantomsPortsmouth, New HampshireNot listed on NPSL websiteSoCal SCSan Bernardino, CaliforniaFolded
2018 teams