The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's soccer league established in 2003. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. It is the successor of the Men's Premier Soccer League, a regional league originally based in the Western United States, which has now expanded nationwide to encompass teams from 21 states, and Washington D.C. The league's motto is "A National League with a Regional Focus".
Competition format The National Premier Soccer League is divided into four separate regions (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West). Each region is divided into conferences with a varying number of teams per conference. The regular season runs from May to July with the exception of the West Region that has historically started in late March or early April.
The NPSL currently has automatic berths in the U.S. Open Cup where they gain eligibility towards the CONCACAF Champions League.
History
The National Premier Soccer League began in 2003 as the Men's Premier Soccer League (MPSL) initially as an offshoot of the Women's Premier Soccer League, and marked the first instance of a women's soccer league spawning a men's league. The league's first two champions were the Arizona Sahuaros, who had defected to the MPSL from the USL D-3 Pro League, and the Utah Salt Ratz.
The league expanded into the Midwest in 2005 with the addition of several new teams and a new conference, and changed its name to National Premier Soccer League to reflect its new national footprint; a team from the expansion conference – Detroit Arsenal – won the league in its first year after its eastward expansion. The NPSL expanded further in 2007 with the addition of a new Northeast Conference and five new teams from the Eastern United States. The first team from the East to win the national NPSL title was the Pennsylvania Stoners in 2008. The league has since continued to expand, adding more teams throughout the entirety of the country.
Since its inception, the league has managed to place at least one team actively playing under its banner into U.S. Open Cup competition. Though the showing of the NPSL in US Open Cup play was typically only one or two teams in its first six years, the 2009 and 2010 cups have seen four and three, respectively, NPSL teams in each tournament. The recent success of the NPSL in USASA qualifying has encouraged a movement by which the league could have automatic berths in the final tournament. The furthest a team from the NPSL has reached in the US Open Cup during the professional era (1997 and onward after the entry of MLS teams) has been the third round. However, the Brooklyn Italians have won the US Open Cup outright before the existence of either MLS or the NPSL.
Although no team has ever won the league twice, the Miami FC camp has won the championship twice as a club. Its reserve team (Miami FC 2) won the 2018 title, and its first team (Miami FC) won the 2019 championship.
In summer 2024, several teams left the NPSL and formed the breakaway League for Clubs, citing poor relations with the league office, concerns about governance and stability, and a desire for a member-driven structure better suited to community-run clubs. The breakaway teams included Tulsa Athletic, FC Davis, Napa Valley 1839 FC and Kingston Stockade FC.
Regional conferences In the fall of 2024, following the creation of the League for Clubs, the NPSL reorganised and announced the establishment of regional conference leagues that would provide a path for more teams to reach the Tier 1 status held by full NPSL sides within USASA. The first conference will be the Pacific Conference. It will consist of the following six teams: JASA Redwood City, Marin County SC, Racing Sacramento City FC, Real San Jose, San Leandro United FC, and Yemen United California. The new conference will start in the fall of 2024. In September 2025, NPSL announced changes to their plans for their regional conferences, officially naming them NPSL–RL and naming Jason Brown managing director. The new regional conferences will run both spring and fall seasons, starting in the spring of 2026.
Status Officially, the USSF does not recognize formal levels of the soccer pyramid below the professional 3rd tier. The USSF does not officially recognize distinctions between amateur soccer leagues in the United States. However, the USASA sanctions affiliated, but separately run, national leagues that are recognized in practical terms as playing at a higher level than the USASA state association leagues; for example, they receive automatic berths to the US Open Cup. In November 2022, USASA announced it had established a Tier 1, which would be its top national tier. This designation would be based on financial stability and sustainability. After 20 years of association with USASA, NPSL would become their first Tier 1 league.
The National Premier Soccer League recruits amateur talent from around the United States. NPSL does not have any age limits or restrictions, thus incorporating both college players and former professional players alike.
Organization The NPSL is organized in a mostly decentralized structure and is managed as a team-run league. Each year, the member clubs help elect a chairman, treasurer, and secretary and an eight-member board of directors. Each team is individually owned and operated, and is responsible for maintaining league minimum standards. New teams seeking membership into the NPSL are subject to approval from an executive committee of existing team owners. Member clubs have the right to make localized decisions for their respective markets, conferences, and regions based on what they believe is best for their particular region. Each conference is managed by the individual member clubs and elects a conference commission each year.
The current chairman is Kenny Farrell of the New Orleans Jesters.
The costs to join the league as of 2016 are reported to be a one-time $15,000 franchise fee and a $5,250 annual league fee. The low entry fee compared to USL League Two's of $50,000 has made the league an attractive alternative to teams looking to compete at the highest level of amateur play.
The league requires that all teams play in stadiums with at least 500 seats, a scoreboard, and locker rooms with showers for both teams and officials. The home team is also responsible for providing water and food for the visiting team, ensuring there is a trainer or doctor on-site for the match, and paying the referees fees at the end of each game.
Sponsorship and partnerships Mitre Sports International provided the official ball for the NPSL starting in 2014. Global Scarves began providing custom soccer scarves throughout the league, and worked with the NPSL on various events and contests to increase awareness and fervor throughout the 2014 NPSL season. Renegade GK, Hummel, MyCujoo, Passage, Carbon Athletics, GCG Sports, Activate Canopy, and HomeLight are all listed as current business partners (2021).
Teams
Current teams Team City Stadium Founded First NPSL Season Head coach Central States Conference FC Milwaukee Torrent Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Hart Park 2015 2016 Steve Provan FC Pride Elite Indianapolis, Indiana Lawrence Soccer Complex 2001 2025 Jamie Gilbert Gio's Lions SC Chicago Chicago, Illinois Barda-Dowling Stadium 2024 Michigan Rangers FC Grand Rapids, Michigan Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex 2024 Stuart Collins Southern Indiana Guardians FC Floyds Knobs, Indiana Woehrle Field / Lou City Training Complex 2024 Wisconsin Conquerors FC Marshfield, Wisconsin Kenneth & Ardyce Heiting Community Stadium 2024 Ricardo Jorge Oliveira Pedro Golden Gate Conference Cruizers FC Modesto, California John Thurman Field 2025 El Farolito SCSan Francisco, CaliforniaBoxer Stadium 1985 2018 Santiago Lopez Oakland Stompers Oakland, California Raimondi Park 2009 2021 Real San Jose San Jose, California PAL Stadium 2007 2025 Sun City FC El Paso, Texas Sunland Park Complex 2025 2026 Vacaville Elite Vallejo, California SPSV Stadium 2009 2026 Great Lakes Conference Ambassadors FC Ohio Canton, Ohio Dr. David & Winnie King Field 2021 2025 Ryan Dean Buffalo Stallions Buffalo, New York North Tonawanda High School 2025 2025 Mark Spacone Cleveland SC Berea, Ohio George Finnie Stadium 2018 2018 Vlad Muresan Erie Commodores FC Erie, Pennsylvania Saxon Stadium 2009 2009 Catalin Nastuta Flower City Union Rochester, New York Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium 2020 2024 Jordan Sullivan Niagara 1812 Niagara Falls, New York Niagara University 2024 2024 Lucio Ianiero Rochester NY FC Academy West Henrietta, New York RNYFC Athletic Complex 1966 2025 Keystone Conference FC Motown Madison, New Jersey Ranger Stadium 2012 2013 Dilly Duka Hershey FC Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey High School Stadium 2013 2013 Dustin Bixler Jackson Lions FC Toms River, New Jersey Donovan Catholic High School 2014 2022 William Fraley New Jersey United AC Holmdel, New Jersey Roggy Field 2024 2025 Fernando Barboto Players Development Academy Lawrenceville, New Jersey Walter E. Nolan Stadium 2025 Dan Keefe Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals SC Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ukrainian American Sport Center 1950 2022 West Chester Predators West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester United Turf Field 1976 2024 Blaise Santangelo West Chester United SC West Chester, Pennsylvania Ciccarone Field 1976 2017 Blaise SantangeloMid-Atlantic Conference Alexandria Reds Alexandria, Virginia Limerick Field 1970 2022 District Elite FC Washington D.C. University of the District of Columbia 2012 2025 TBD DMV Elite FC Bladensburg, Maryland Bladensburg High School 2022 2024 Gustavo Onaindia FC Frederick Frederick, Maryland Thomas Athletic Field 1986 2015 Chris Spinks Grove Soccer United Glen Allen, Virginia Deep Run High School 2021 2022 Hub City FC Hagerstown, Maryland North Hagerstown High School 2025 2026 TBD Ristozi FC Owings Mills, Maryland Mustang Stadium 2022 2025 Dylan Shepherd Virginia Beach City FC Norfolk, Virginia Powhatan Field 2013 2014 Stéphane Thys Virginia Dream FC Falls Church, Virginia Meridian High School 2022 2023 TBD North Conference Dakota Fusion FC Fargo, North Dakota Jim Gotta Stadium 2016 2017 Kristoff Burkett Duluth FC Duluth, Minnesota Public Schools Stadium 2015 2017 Sean Morgan Joy Athletic Club St. Louis Park, Minnesota Oriole Stadium 2009 2021 Arinze Ezirike Minnesota Blizzard FC Lakeville, Minnesota Lakeville North High School Stadium 2023 2024 Forrest Randall Sioux Falls Thunder FC Sioux Falls, South Dakota Harrisburg High School 2016 2016 Siouxland United FC Sioux City, Iowa Bishop Heelan Memorial Field 2023 2024 Alex Trent North Atlantic Conference AC Newport Newport, Rhode Island Toppa Field 2026 2026 America Soccer Club New York Long Island, New York Captains Field 2012 2025 New Haven United FC New Haven, Connecticut Reese Stadium 2025 2025 Kledis Capollari New York Shockers Albany, New York Afrim's Sports Park 2021 2021 Matt Esposito Osner's FC Brooklyn, New York Belson Stadium 2015 2025 Christian Turizo Santa Cruz FC Lowell, Massachusetts Doucette Stadium 2021 2026 Francisco Fernandes Southeast Conference 865 Alliance Knoxville, Tennessee Clinton Dragon Stadium 2008 2023 Mike Meyer Bristol Rhythm AFC Bristol, Tennessee/Bristol, Virginia Gene Malcolm Stadium 2024 2024 Dave Neijenhuis Burlington United FC Burlington, North Carolina MacPherson Stadium 2025 2025 Diego Walsh Charlottetowne Hops FC Charlotte, North Carolina CSA OrthoCarolina Sportsplex 2023 2023 Morteza Ebrahimi Greenville United FC Greenville, North Carolina John Paul II Catholic High School Athletic Campus 2020 2023 Josh Horne Mint Hill FC Mint Hill, North Carolina Mint Hill Veteran's Memorial Park 2022 2026 Airon Reyes Statesville FC Statesville, North Carolina Statesville High School Greyhound Stadium - The Ville 2025 2026 Nick Brown
Future Teams