Previously, TCSL was announced as an operator of a new, unified competition to replace and enhance the existing NPL structure. The brand of this new competition has been announced.
The National 1 League is the top team-based competition in US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer, elevating teams across the country into a unified national competition platform that culminates in the ECNL Conference League Playoffs and Finals in the postseason.
Beginning with its inaugural season in 2026-27, the National 1 League brings together two established league platforms – US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues and US Youth Soccer’s National League – in an extraordinary display of collaboration. Participants and their families benefit from a carefully constructed system of conferences and districts that provide clarity, reduce travel and costs, and increase access to talent identification and college scouting opportunities.
While National 1 will replace the existing NPL brand, the principles, values and standards clubs have enjoyed will remain.
