Key Takeaways
- US Club Soccer will integrate ECNL Regional League and National Premier Leagues postseasons beginning in 2026-27
- Nearly 230 NPL clubs have earned promotions to ECNL RL or ECNL over the past five seasons
- The NPL includes 18 member leagues with more than 3,000 teams across the country
- Integration aligns with U.S. Soccer’s new Pathways Strategy focused on improving navigation and accessibility
- Postseason format details will be announced in coming weeks
Creating Direct Competition Between League Tiers
US Club Soccer announced Wednesday it will create a formal postseason collaboration between the ECNL Regional League and National Premier Leagues beginning in the 2026-27 season. NPL qualifiers will compete directly against ECNL RL qualifiers in postseason play.
The organization did not release specific format details for the new postseason structure, stating those will come in the coming weeks.
US Club Soccer operates a three-tier competitive system. The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) sits at the top as a club-based competition, followed by ECNL RL at the second level. The National Premier Leagues functions as the organization’s top team-based platform, distinct from the club-based structure above it.
Performance-Based Promotion Data
The NPL was established in 2011 and currently consists of 18 member leagues with more than 3,000 teams nationwide. Movement between competitive tiers shows measurable activity over recent years.
In the past five seasons, nearly 230 clubs with top-performing NPL teams have been promoted to either ECNL RL or ECNL competition. At the highest transition point between ECNL RL and ECNL, 37 boys clubs and 21 girls clubs have advanced in the past four cycles.
Timing With National Youth Soccer Strategy
The pathway announcement comes alongside U.S. Soccer’s recently released Pathways Strategy, a national initiative aimed at making youth soccer easier to navigate and more accessible for families.
Mike Cullina, US Club Soccer CEO, said the work centers on clarification. “At its core, this work is about clarifying pathways, helping players, families, teams and clubs understand where they are, where they can play, and how performance and development are recognized over time.”
Cullina added that US Club Soccer remains committed to U.S. Soccer’s pathways working group and is pursuing additional collaboration with other youth soccer organizations. He noted the organization has had positive discussions with multiple member organizations.
Christian Lavers, ECNL President, connected the new structure to performance recognition. “This pathway and the new postseason structure will help to recognize and reward performance and merit over time at all levels, and will continue the great and growing collaboration between ECNL, US Club Soccer and the NPL.”
What the Integration Addresses
American youth soccer has long operated with multiple competition structures that can challenge families navigating club options. By formalizing connections between its leagues and establishing direct postseason competition, US Club Soccer is creating clearer performance benchmarks.
For clubs currently in NPL, the new postseason creates an opportunity to compete directly against ECNL RL programs. The existing promotion system, which has already moved hundreds of clubs upward, gains an additional competitive showcase through the postseason integration.
The move also positions US Club Soccer as aligned with U.S. Soccer’s national youth development priorities at a time when pathway clarity has become a stated federation goal.
via: ENCL
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