MLS front offices are located in New York City.
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NEW YORK – MLS NEXT also announced Friday the new division structure and participating teams in the new tier of competition, which was previously unveiled in early January.
The new tier of MLS NEXT will feature more than 1,200 teams from more than 220 clubs across regional divisions during the regular season. Of those clubs, more than half previously competed outside of MLS NEXT. Each division will be managed by leading league operators across the youth soccer landscape with a strong commitment to player development – the National Academy League (NAL) operated by 3Step Soccer, Elite Academy League (EAL), Sporting Development League (SDL), Cobalt Sports, and Cal North Soccer Association, all according to some press releases distributed by the MLS NEXT front office.
Regular season play will begin in September 2025, which will be accompanied by regional tournaments and an opportunity to attend MLS NEXT national events, as well as coaching development and education programs. The regional tournaments will serve as qualifying for a championship event at the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs later in 2026. These events will be marquee talent identification opportunities for college, professional, and national team scouts to evaluate players.
Players competing in the new tier will also be eligible to play high school soccer in their respective state, pending approval of each individual high school athletics governing body and to their eligibility rules.
Below are the new divisional alignments for the MLS NEXT new tier of competition:
NEW ENGLAND
(Operated by National Academy League)
Bayside FC
Connecticut Rush
FC Greater Boston Bolts
Ginga FC
IFA West
Intercontinental FA
NEFC
NEFC South
New England Surf SC
New York Elite Alleycats FC
New York Rush
Oakwood Soccer Club
Rhode Island Surf SC
Rochester NY FC Academy
Seacoast United Bedford
Seacoast United Mass
Syracuse Development Academy
Valeo Futbol Club
TRI-STATE
(Operated by National Academy League)
Beachside of Connecticut
Blau Weiss Gottschee
Cedar Stars Academy Bergen
Cedar Stars Academy Newark
Downtown United Soccer Club
FA Euro New York
FC Harlem
FC Hudson Valley
FC Westchester
Ironbound SC
Long Island Slammers
Long Island Soccer Club
Metropolitan Oval
New York SC
Stony Brook Lake Grove
The Football Academy
TSF Academy
MID-ATLANTIC
(Operated by National Academy League)
Alexandria SA
Baltimore Armour
Bethesda SC
Cedar Stars Academy Monmouth
Coppermine SC
FC DELCO
Keystone FC
Loudoun Soccer Club
McLean Youth Soccer
PA Classics
PA Classics Harrisburg
PDA Hibernian
Players Development Academy
Real Futbol Academy
Sporting Athletic Club
Springfield SYC
Virginia Revolution SC
West Virginia Soccer
CAROLINAS
(Operated by National Academy League)
Carolina Core
Carolina Velocity FC
Charleston SC
Fox Soccer Academy Carolinas
James Island Youth Soccer Club
Queen City Mutiny
Tormenta FC Academy
Triangle United SA
Wake FC
SOUTH
(Operated by National Academy League)
AFC Lightning
BRSC
Hoover-Vestavia Soccer
Inter Atlanta FC
KSA
Lanier Soccer Academy
One Knoxville SC
Roswell Soccer Club
Southern Soccer Academy
Southern States Soccer
SUNSHINE
(Operated by National Academy League)
Athletum FC Academy
Chargers Soccer Club
Florida Rush
Galacticos Soccer Academy
IdeaSport SA
IMG
Jacksonville FC
Miami Futbol Academy Rush
NONA Soccer Academy
One FC
Orlando City Soccer School South
Orlando City Youth SC - Seminole
Plantation FC Rush
South Florida Football Academy
Tampa Bay United
United Soccer Alliance
West Florida Flames
Weston FC
PIONEER
(Operated by Cobalt Sports)
AC River
Capital City North
Capital City South
Dallas Hornets North
Dallas Hornets East
GFIA North
GFIA South
Houston Futsal Club
Houston Rangers
IDEA Toros Futbol Academy
Ozark United FC
San Antonio United SC
Sporting Oklahoma
Tulsa Greenwood SC
HEARTLAND
(Operated by Sporting Development League)
Lou Fusz Athletic
Lou Fusz Athletic 2
Sporting Blue Valley
Sporting City
Sporting Springfield
Sporting Wichita
St. Louis Development Academy
St. Louis Scott Gallagher
St. Louis Scott Gallagher St. Charles
Sting Nebraska
GREAT LAKES
(Operated by National Academy League)
Beadling SC
Chicago FC United
Chicago Fire Youth SC
Club Ohio
Cincinnati United Premier SC
Galaxy Soccer Club
Indy Eleven
Javanon FC
Lexington SC
Michigan Bucks Academy
Michigan Futbol Academy
Michigan Jaguars
Michigan Jaguars-United FC
Michigan Stars Elite
Michigan Tigers FC
Michigan Wolves
Midwest United FC
St. Louis Scott Gallagher Illinois
Sockers FC Chicago
Vardar Soccer Club
NORTH
(Operated by National Academy League)
Bavarian United SC
Elmbrook United
Forward Madison FC
Lakeville SC
Manitou F.C.
Minneapolis United SC
SC Wave
Saint Paul Blackhawks
Tonka Fusion Elite
Wisconsin United FC
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
(Operated by Elite Academy League)
Atletico FC
Mt. Rainier Futbol Club
Oregon Surf SC
Saints Academy
Seattle Celtic
Soccer Chance Academy
Sozo FC
Valor Soccer
Washington East Surf SC
Washington Rush
Western Washington Surf SC
Westside Metros FC
Whatcom Rangers
MOUNTAIN
(Operated by Elite Academy League and clubs will be announced at a later date)
Northern California
Operated by Cal North Soccer Association
AC Marin Vision
ALBION SC Merced
Almaden FC
Atletico Santa Rosa
Ballistic United
Breakers FC
Burlingame Soccer Club
De Anza Force
Diablo Valley Futbol Club
Elk Grove Soccer
FC Bay Area Surf
Lamorinda Soccer Club
Los Gatos United Soccer Club
Napa United
Palo Alto Soccer Club | Silicon Valley Soccer Academy
Sacramento United
San Francisco Glens SC
San Francisco Seals
Woodside Soccer Club Crush
DESERT
(Operated by Cobalt Sports)
ALBION Las Vegas
Barca Residency Academy
Celtic Storm
City SC Utah
Downtown Las Vegas SC
FC Tucson Youth SC
Las Vegas Sports Academy
Monarchs AZ
Phoenix Premier FC
Phoenix Rising FC
Players Soccer Club
RSL Arizona
RSL Arizona Mesa
SC Del Sol
Sparta United Soccer Club
Utah FC
Wasatch Soccer Club
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
(Operated by Elite Academy League)
ALBION Los Angeles
ALBION Riverside
ALBION San Diego
Chula Vista FC
City SC - San Diego
FC Golden State
LA Surf Soccer Club
LA Youth
Laguna United FC
Los Angeles Bulls Soccer Club
Los Angeles Soccer Club
Murrieta Soccer Academy
Oaks FC
SoCal Reds FC
Sporting San Diego
Strikers FC
Total Futbol Academy
Ventura County Fusion
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(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the National Soccer Network regarding club/youth soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer involving teams, players or coaches with ties to a particular state or states, contact Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and news@nationalsoccernetwork.com, or call 248-525-2349. Dan Stickradt is a 32-year veteran of the Michigan and national media circles and recently joined the staff full time at PMG in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/NSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@thepremiermediagrp.com.)
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