United Premier Soccer League
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American 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 400 teams from 41 states as of the 2022 season.
| Founded | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF US Soccer |
| Conferences | 30 |
| Number of teams | 400+ |
| Promotion to | Premier Division (Internal) |
| Relegation to | Division I (Internal) |
| Domestic cup(s) | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup |
| Current champions | Orange County FC (1st title) (2022 Spring) |
| Most championships | California United FC II OC Crew (2 titles each) |
| TV partners | Eleven Sports |
| Website | upsl.com |
| Current: 2022 Fall | |
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 Premier Division are eligible to compete for the national championship.
The league is a National Affiliate member of United States Soccer Federation, and a 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 400 member clubs across the nation. Now featuring numerous MLS U19 teams including LAFC, Philadelphia Union and LA Galaxy, the Premier Division is widely regarded as occupying the unofficial 4th tier of US Soccer. 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 Division One.
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 | ||||
| FSA PRO | Warwick, New York | Hudson Sports Complex | |||
| Hudson Valley Hammers | Warwick, New York | Hudson Sports Complex | |||
| Westchester United FC | Yonkers, New York | Tibbetts Brook Park | |||
| New York Contour United | Hicksville, New York | Cantiague Park | |||
| Queens Meadows FC | New York City, New York | Randall's Island Field | |||
| Real New York FC | New York City, New York | Aviator Sports Complex | |||
| Sons of Queens FC | New York City, New York | Aviator Sports Complex | |||
| EFA Metro | Clifton, New Jersey | Athenia Steel Park | |||
| New Jersey FC | Elizabeth, New Jersey | Todd Bowles Complex | |||
| North Jersey Alliance FC | Newark, New Jersey | Newark Schools Stadium | |||
| Philadelphia Lone Star FC | Wayne, Pennsylvania | YSC Sports Stadium | |||
| Salone FC | Conshohocken, Pennsylvania | Proving Grounds | |||
| Southeast Conference | |||||
| Georgia | |||||
| Florida Central | |||||
| Florida West | |||||
| Florida South | |||||
| Mid-South Conference | |||||
| Expedition | |||||
| Bowling Green FC | Bowling Green, Kentucky | The Pitt Soccer Stadium | |||
| Pumas Premier | Mayfield, Kentucky | Graves County High School | |||
| AFC 615 | Hendersonville, Tennessee | Lighthouse Christian Academy | |||
| 615 Heroes | Hendersonville, Tennessee | Lighthouse Christian Academy | |||
| Music City SC | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Richard Siegel Park | |||
| Saints FC | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Richard Siegel Park | |||
| USC Revolution | Rossville, Tennessee | Rossville Christian Academy | |||
| We United FC | Bartlett, Tennessee | Bartlett Boulevard Soccer Park | |||
| Midwest Conference | |||||
| East | |||||
| AIM Soccer Club | Melvindale, Michigan | Fordson High School | |||
| City United SC | Detroit, Michigan | Keyworth Stadium | |||
| Detroit Union FC | Detroit, Michigan | Waterford-Kettering High School | |||
| Detroit United | Detroit, Michigan | The Hawk - Farmington Hills | |||
| FC Berlin | Kitchener, Ontario/Walled Lake, Michigan | Total Sports Park - Wixom | |||
| Hamtramck City FC | Hamtramck, Michigan | ||||
| Inter Detroit | Pontiac, Michigan | Total Sports Park - Wixom | |||
| Rebels FC | Macomb County, Michigan | Auburn Hills Civic Center | |||
| Central | |||||
| Mad City FC | Madison, Wisconsin | Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Sports Complex | |||
| Bavarian Majors | Glendale, Wisconsin | Heartland Value Fund Stadium | |||
| United Serbian FC | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | St. Sava School | |||
| Springfield FC | Springfield, Illinois | Sasa Complex | |||
| Iowa Raptors FC | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Prairie High School | |||
| West | |||||
| South | |||||
| Central Conference | |||||
| North | |||||
| South | |||||
| Hearth | |||||
| Houston FC | Houston, Texas | Westbury Christian School Athletic Complex | |||
| Round Rock SC | Round Rock, Texas | Round Rock Multipurpose Complex | |||
| Capital City SC | Austin, Texas | St. Michael's Catholic Academy | |||
| San Antonio Surf SC | San Antonio, Texas | SA Surf Soccer Field | |||
| Heat Fututres | Laredo, Texas | Laredo College South Campus | |||
| West Texas/NM | |||||
| Southwest Conference | |||||
| Arizona/Nevada | |||||
| Las Vegas Legends | Las Vegas, Nevada | Peter Johann Memorial Field | |||
| SLV FC | Las Vegas, Nevada | Peter Johann Memorial Field | |||
| Villareal Las Vegas Academy | Las Vegas, Nevada | Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex | |||
| East Valley United PRO | Mesa, Arizona | East Valley Soccer Complex | |||
| East Valley United Elite | Mesa, Arizona | East Valley Soccer Complex | |||
| FC Arizona | Gilbert, Arizona | Campo Verde High School | |||
| FC Arizona U23 | Gilbert, Arizona | Campo Verde High School | |||
| Olympians FC | El Mirage, Arizona | Olympians Soccer Complex | |||
| Barça Residency USA | Casa Grande, Arizona | Grande Sports World | |||
| Tucson Maccabees | Oro Valley, Arizona | Naranja Park | |||
| Western Conference | |||||
| Colorado | |||||
| Mountain | |||||
| Boise Cutthroats FC | Nampa, Idaho | Northwest Nazarene University Campus | |||
| Kongo FC | Ogden, Utah | Spence Eccles Sports Complex | |||
| Utah Saints SC | Ogden, Utah | Spence Eccles Sports Complex | |||
| African Stars | Herriman, Utah | Zions Bank Stadium | |||
| Real Salt Lake U19 | Herriman, Utah | Zions Bank Stadium | |||
| FC Spider | Bluffdale, Utah | Summit Academy High School | |||
| Sierra Nevada FC Thunder | Reno, Nevada | North Valleys Regional Park | |||
| Battle Born FC | Carson City, Nevada | Sierra Lutheran High School | |||
| Wild West North | |||||
| Wild West South | |||||
| SoCal North | |||||
| SoCal South | |||||
Champions
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | OC Crew SC | Santa Ana Winds FC | 4–2 |
| 2012–13 | Santa Ana Winds FC | Tustin Legends FC | |
| 2013–14 | OC Crew SC | Tustin Legends FC | 5–3 |
| 2014–15 | La Máquina FC | Glory United | 4–1 |
| 2015 | San Nicolas FC | L.A. Wolves FC | 2–0 |
| 2016 Spring | Strikers FC South Coast | San Pedro Monsters | 3–1[11] |
| 2016 Fall | FC Anahuac | Inter Arizona FC | 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 | Utah Murcielagos | 2–2 (4–3p) |
| 2019 Fall | Maryland Bobcats FC | Santa Ana Winds FC | 3–1 (OT) |
| 2020 Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2020 Fall | Ginga Atlanta | Olympians FC | 0-0 (3-1p) |
| 2021 Spring | New York Contour United | East Valley United PRO | 2-1 |
| 2021 Fall | Foro 360 Pro | Chicago Nation FC | 1-0 |
| 2022 Spring | Orange County FC | Beaman United | 3-1 |
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
- Official website