Santa Clara Sporting Club Promoted to ECNL Regional League Girls – NorCal for 26/27 Season
SACRAMENTO, CA (May 11, 2026) – NorCal Premier Soccer is excited to announce the inclusion of Santa Clara Sporting Club into the ECNL Regional League Girls – NorCal division, starting in the 2026/27 season.
Santa Clara Sporting enters the fold coming from the Girls Academy, a move that Los Gatos United, San Francisco Elite Academy, and West Coast Soccer Club made in the 2025/26 season. Also joining Santa Clara from the Girls Academy ahead of next season are Napa United.
“We are pleased to welcome Santa Clara Sporting to the ECNL RL – NorCal,” said NorCal Director of Competitions Daniel Chamberlain. “This transition will help grow the strength of the ECNL RL – NorCal division while further reinforcing the established pathways we’ve built with the ECNL.”
Added Sporting President Luis Azevedo: “We are proud to bring our girls program into the ECNL Regional League. Santa Clara Sporting has had an incredible experience with ECNL through our boys program and this move gives us the opportunity to align all of our teams under one league, creating a unified experience for our players, families, and coaching staff. Our organization has long been committed to fostering a community based environment that prioritizes inclusivity, teamwork, and the development of young athletes both on and off the field. We are proud of the tradition we have built at Sporting and see this as a natural next step in continuing to develop our players and contribute to the growth of the game in our community.”
Santa Clara Sporting will join alongside Napa United and 11 other clubs recently promoted to the ECNL RL – NorCal for the upcoming season, all uniting with the 26 founding member clubs of the expanded ECNL Regional League from the 25/26 season.
Clubs selected to be members of the updated ECNL RL – NorCal division are some of the top boys and girls programs within NorCal Premier Soccer. Clubs were evaluated based on the quality of the teams and their performance in NorCal competitions over the past three years, a review of their technical standards, and their adherence to NorCal administrative standards.
About NorCal Premier Soccer:
Founded in 2004, NorCal Premier Soccer is the leading developmental soccer organization in Northern California. With a membership of 300 diverse clubs and over 130,000 total competitive and recreational players, NorCal continues to be a driving force behind youth soccer’s development in the region. NorCal is committed to elevating the game of soccer through its comprehensive programs—including year-round competitions, NorCal State Cup, a no-cost Player Development Program, and heavily subsidized coach, referee, and club education programs. NorCal Premier Soccer is a California Nonprofit Benefit Corporation.
About Santa Clara Sporting Club:
Santa Clara Sporting Soccer Club is a premier competitive youth soccer organization in Santa Clara, California, affiliated with the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League. As one of the oldest and most successful clubs in the United States, we’ve built a legacy of excellence spanning decades. With over 650 players across 35 teams (U8-U18), Santa Clara Sporting makes a significant impact at local, district, regional, and national levels. Our teams compete in ECNL, Girl’s Academy and NorCal Premier Soccer Leagues, consistently placing athletes in elite development programs.
