United Premier Soccer League

The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American for-profit soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was founded in 2011 by Santa Ana Winds President Leonel López as a regional league for teams in Greater Los Angeles, but expanded to include 400 teams from 41 states as of the 2022 season.

Two seasons are played each year, with regional play culminating in a playoff system that crowns a single national champion each season. The league features internal promotion and relegation with up to three levels in some regions; only clubs in the top tier Premier Division are eligible to compete for the national championship.

The league is a National Affiliate member of United States Soccer Federation, and a National League within the larger United States soccer league system.

History

The UPSL was formed in 2011 with 10 teams, and has grown to include over 400 member clubs across the nation. Now featuring numerous MLS U19 teams including LAFC, Philadelphia Union and LA Galaxy, the Premier Division is widely regarded as occupying the unofficial 4th tier of US Soccer. Each UPSL team is independently owned and operated. The league consists of two seasons each calendar year, with the Spring season beginning in March and ending with national playoffs in July, and a Fall season with play beginning in September with national playoffs in December.

UPSL announced it would begin promotion/relegation system beginning in 2017. Teams will compete in two divisions: Pro Premier and Division One.

In November 2016 the UPSL announced the addition of a Colorado conference set to begin in 2017.

In August 2017, the league announced that all eleven clubs of the Premier League of America would be joining the UPSL as a new Midwest Conference. The conference will initiate friendlies during the 2017 Fall Season and begin league play in 2018.

U.S. Open Cup

Former member club PSA Elite is known for reaching the fourth round of the 2014 and the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by knocking out higher-level professional teams. Three UPSL teams, La Máquina FC, L.A. Wolves FC, and San Nicolas FC qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open Cup. La Máquina FC advanced to the fourth round (knocking out Portland Timbers U23, Sacramento Gold, and LA Wolves FC) before falling to LA Galaxy. The UPSL's participants in the 2016 US Open Cup altogether defeated teams from the PDL (Timbers U-23), NPSL (Sacramento Gold), and USL (Orange County Blues FC). The UPSL had five teams qualify for the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, with the L.A. Wolves FC advancing the furthest, making it to the third round before being knocked out by USL team Orange County SC. 2018 saw five more UPSL teams qualify for the U.S. Open Cup, with Sporting Arizona FC before falling to USL team Fresno FC. Only one team, Florida Soccer Soldiers qualified from UPSL for the 2019 U.S. Open Cup, advancing to the third round prior to losing to USL Championship team North Carolina FC. The U.S. Open cup was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19. UPSL had four teams qualify for the 2022 U.S. Open Cup with two teams advancing to the second round of the competition. In 2023, UPSL only had two teams qualify for the U.S. Open Cup, with UDA Soccer advancing to the second round before falling to USL Championship team New Mexico United. With more slots being taken in the tournament proper by USL League 2 and National Premier Soccer League teams, the UPSL had seen a decrease in the number of teams to make it through the qualifying rounds. Starting in 2024, UPSL is guaranteed a slot in the first round of the Open Cup. This slot is given to the UPSL Spring Champions, and in 2024 was earned by AS Frenzi. For the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, Soda City FC earned the automatic first round slot by winning the 2024 UPSL Spring season. For the 2026 U.S. Open Cup it was Tennessee Tempo FC who secured a spot in the main draw after winning the 2025 Spring Season of the UPSL.

2025 season

Premier Division

Division 1

Women

Champions

External links