NorCal Announces New NPL Clubs

NorCal Premier is excited to announce the addition of new clubs to the National Premier League (NPL) for the 2023/24 season.  The NorCal NPL has been the pinnacle of the NorCal pyramid for more than a decade, and provides a pathway to the highest levels of competition in NorCal for NPL clubs and qualifying wild card teams. Each year, only a few clubs meet the standards to become an NPL club.

NorCal Premier Soccer is excited to announce that Solano Surf (boys and girls), Stanislaus United (girls), IR Academy (boys), Folsom Lake Surf (boys), and South Valley Chivas (boys) have all been granted full NPL club status.

Each of these clubs earned their statuses as NPL clubs based off of their results over the past year, before undergoing an evaluation process in which they were assessed in these five categories:

1. Competitiveness of Teams
2. Club Leadership
3. Technical Program
4. Player Pool
5. Football Environment

Based on these evaluations NorCal has also awarded provisional NPL club status to Stanford Strikers (boys and girls), IR Academy (girls), Monterey Surf (girls), Valley Surf (girls), AC Marin (boys), El Dorado Hills Soccer Club (boys), and Turlock Sports Park (boys).

Clubs granted provisional status, have guaranteed spots in the NPL at U13 and U14 as well as access to the Pre-NPL at U12. However, provisional clubs will undergo an automatic review after their first year as an NPL club to ensure they are able to continue to meet the standards.

NorCal’s NPL is one of 16 countrywide NPLs run by US Club Soccer, and just one of two in California. For more information on the NPL, click here.

What They’re Saying:

AC Marin:

“AC Marin is proud and honored to be selected as a provisional National Premier League Club. NPL provisional status will provide AC Marin players with exposure to a national competition platform and an elevated level of play. Most importantly, it achieves a club goal of providing local players with multiple pathways to higher competition achievements.”

– AC Marin Technical Director of Operations David Briceño

El Dorado Hills Soccer Club: 

“Our goal is to meet the needs of every player in our club and this achievement raises the ceiling for our teams. The exposure to college showcases, high levels of competition across Northern California and the additional support from NorCal Premier will be fantastic for our players, teams, and club.”

– El Dorado Hills Soccer Club Director of Coaching Adam Moffat

Folsom Lake Surf:

“We are excited to be awarded full club NPL status for our boys program. Having achieved this status for our girls program two years ago, we are proud to now have full club status for both programs. Participation in the NPL platform supports our overriding club mission to provide as many meaningful playing opportunities to our members as possible. For our 3000-plus player community, this adds yet another layer to the pathway we provide our players, taking them from recreation soccer to advanced levels of play.”

– Folsom Lake Surf Club Director Fritz Libby

IR Academy:

“IR Academy has been working towards this goal, to become a Norcal NPL club, for several years. Our focus and efforts have been rewarded, not just the efforts of Club leadership and its staff, but also the parents and players that have worked hard, and stuck with us, having this ultimate shared goal in mind. We are excited and honored to have the opportunity to play in the best league in Northern California. NorCal leadership and its staff has continually been a strong guide and supporter of our efforts to expand beyond our very humble beginnings, to obtain our goal, while taking measured and calculated steps – IR Academy will work diligently to become a successful NPL club. Congratulations to our leadership, our staff, and above all, our families! Thank you for this tremendous opportunity, NorCal.”

– IR Academy President Kyle Crist

Monterey Surf:

“Monterey Surf is excited to become part of the NPL beginning 2023/24 season. We have worked hard the last few years with our coaches and players to attain this promotion and reach this club goal. NPL will provide high level competition both regionally and nationally for our teams, giving our players additional experiences and exposure at NPL showcases. We are proud of our older girls teams who have built the foundation for our younger teams to have this opportunity.”

– Monterey Surf Director John Licea

Solano Surf:

“Solano County has needed a competitive platform for a long time and the NPL allows players the opportunity to play against the top clubs in NorCal. Players in our community have had to travel out of the area for years to play at a high level and we are excited to offer NPL locally.  Solano Surf has grown in numbers and quality rapidly in two years and we are proud to be the destination club in our county.”

– Solano Surf Director Zach Sullivan

South Valley Chivas:

“Getting NPL status will not only affect our club but will also affect our community enormously. Knowing that we can showcase our youths talent at the top competitive levels coming from such a small town is another outlet and opportunity for our youth to grow not only in their athletic abilities but as young men and women. We hope this opportunity helps grow the game in our community and continues to fire up the passion and love for the game that already exists within our community.”

– South Valley Chivas Director Esmaldo Hernandez

Stanford Strikers:

“NPL club status has been a goal for many years. It’s a milestone to be celebrated and will provide a pathway for our talented and ambitious players. It’s also a challenge to our entire Stanford Strikers FC club to accelerate the development of our players to successfully compete with the most forward-thinking clubs in northern California and beyond.”

– Stanford Strikers Executive Director Bret Simon

Stanislaus United:

“The National Premier League platform is a monumental achievement for our SUSC Girls program and the entire Central Valley. We are honored and excited to bring NPL to our area, thanks to NorCal Premier Soccer and the promotion and relegation pathway. SUSC stands committed to continue to create pathways for collegiate and professional opportunities for our athletes.”

– Stanislaus United Director of Coaching Jose Alcala-Hernandez

Turlock Sports Park:

“We are excited and grateful to announce that our club has been selected as an NPL Member club on the boys side. This is a huge honor and achievement, as we would become one of the very first NPL club on the boys side in the Turlock/Modesto region. We appreciate the consideration & acceptance by the Norcal & NPL leadership. This allows the opportunity to provide all players and teams the chance to compete at the highest level in a time when many leagues are being introduced in our region in the name of high level soccer. As a NorCal Member Club, we know and understand that NPL provides the best pathway on a national level. In addition, NorCal now has added the ECNL Pathway through the NPL advancement process to ensure college level exposure for clubs that showcase high level soccer on a club level.”

– Turlock Sports Park President Fred Rasuli

Valley Surf:

“We would like to first of all thank NorCal Premier Soccer for putting faith in our club to continue the tradition of NPL soccer here in the Valley. Our main objective when we began this project several years ago was to bring more opportunities for more players in the Central Valley to experience elite level soccer. Our acceptance to NPL on the girls side will elevate the playing experience for the young women currently within our club and provide a pathway for more young women to showcase themselves on a higher platform. We are excited at the prospect of competing for NPL championships and helping more girls from the Valley to aspire to play at the next level.”

– Valley Surf Director of Coaching Darren Leslie