NorCal Premier Soccer Selected as N1 League Operator

ADAPTED FROM US CLUB’S OFFICIAL RELEASE HERE

NorCal Premier Soccer is proud to be selected as a league operator of National 1 League (N1), US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer’s new competition that serves as the top team-based league. Beginning with the 2026-27 season, this new league will bring together the National Premier Leagues (NPL) and National League, ushering in a new era of collaboration in the youth soccer ecosystem and serving 10,000 teams and more than 150,000 players.

The competition’s inaugural season will be capped in summer 2027, as part of a postseason structure operated by the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Qualification will include the top-performing teams from this competition, along with selected ECNL Regional League (ECNL RL) teams, creating a highly competitive and meaningful postseason event. The existing postseason structures within the ECNL and ECNL RL will remain, and this new additional postseason pathway will further strengthen and integrate the competitive pyramid while adding opportunity. The combination of postseason pathways will offer best-in-class college scouting opportunities and event experience for families. More information about the playoff structure will be announced next week.

National 1 League will consist of eight conferences – Northwest, West, Central, South, Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast – with multiple districts in each conference and those districts advancing teams to the postseason.

Operators were selected based on their commitment to access and inclusivity, quality competition, and player-first decision-making across all districts. Additional approvals will be announced as applications are finalized, and all designations remain subject to ongoing compliance. This committee was approved by both organizations’ board of directors and will support the new league in its inaugural season.

“Having been involved in the oversight of national youth leagues for almost a decade, this competition is exactly what youth soccer needs,” said Marc Frankland, commissioner of the new competition. “I’m proud to work with US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer to develop a league that focuses more on local travel and aligns with the U.S. Soccer Pathways Strategy to create a unified, team-based competition that is player-focused and merit-based.”

These efforts coincide with U.S. Soccer’s Pathways Strategy, an initiative committed to making the game easier to navigate, more accessible and more supportive. The N1 pathway is inclusive of ECNL, ECNL RL and localized/state competitions, providing opportunities for promotion of top clubs within this new competition into the ECNL RL, as well as localized competitions and state leagues into N1.

“An extraordinary amount of diligence and care are being put into the creation of this new competition,” said Alexandra Rieben, US Club Soccer Senior Vice President of Programs & Partnerships. “US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer and the ECNL are all working to provide a league platform that welcomes more players, minimizes travel, connects above and below in the current pathways structure, and elevates the best teams in the country. Because of our collective commitment to collaboration, the next chapter of American youth soccer is one that the entire ecosystem will be proud of and model after for years to come.”

Tom Condone, US Youth Soccer CEO, added: “We are committed to a competitive structure defined by clear standards, consistent accountability and expanded opportunity for players.”