**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

Bloomington, Minn. — In a significant step forward for youth soccer in the United States, US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues will evolve into a new, unified national competition aligned with US Youth Soccer’s National League beginning with the 2026-27 soccer year. Twin Cities Soccer Leagues (TCSL) has been announced as an Operator of this new platform, building upon the strong foundation of the NPL while creating greater alignment and connectivity across the national landscape.

The new structure will maintain the existing NPL standards and team-based model currently in place, while creating stronger alignment and connectivity across eight geographic conferences with multiple districts in each conference. TCSL will operate within the Central District, serving clubs throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, as we do today.

A key enhancement is an updated postseason model. Beginning next year, playoffs will be operated by the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) and will include champions from this competition alongside selected additional ECNL Regional League qualifiers. Importantly, the existing ECNL Regional League postseason structure will remain fully intact. More information about the postseason structure will be released soon.

While the national platform evolves, the broader TCSL pyramid remains unchanged — and in many ways serves as a model for the country — with clear promotion pathways within TCSL and advancement opportunities into ECNL Regional League.

“This is an important step toward greater clarity and alignment within youth soccer in America,” said Matt Tiano, CEO of TCSL. “By building upon the strong foundation of the NPL and integrating it into a more unified national framework, we are creating a more connected competitive environment for clubs and players. TCSL is proud to help lead this next phase of alignment and evolution.”

To answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), we’ve prepared this document to assist our members.