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MLS NEXT: Which states have the most MLS NEXT clubs?

Writer's picture: Dan StickradtDan Stickradt


(Have photos to go with this story? Email pics to Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and also list the photo credit as well.)


NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com



California, Florida, New York, Texas lead the way


BY DAN STICKRADT

WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS

Premier Media Group | National Soccer Network and affiliates

BUSINESS LINE: (248) 525-2349

TW/X: @msn_stickradt @MiSoccerNetwork


NEW YORK – During the 2024-25 school year, there is a record 151 total MLS NEXT Academy youth clubs in the U.S. and Canada that are fielding teams over five different age brackets.

 

A total of 29 clubs are directly affiliated with MLS franchises and 122 others come from prominent youth soccer clubs in the U.S. and Canada. There are 148 from the U.S. and three from Canada.

 

Only two states have more than 10 clubs with MLS NEXT teams, led by California with a record 34 clubs followed by Florida with 15 clubs. New York and Texas both host nine clubs apiece in the league, while New Jersey (seven), Georgia (seven), Arizona (five), Massachusetts (five), North Carolina (five), Pennsylvania (five), Michigan (four) and Missouri (four) all having four or more clubs that offer teams in MLS NEXT. There are 12 states with at least four clubs.

 

There are currently 14 different states that do not have an MLS NEXT club within its borders – Alaska, Arkansas,

Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming round out that group.

 

The only three Canadian provinces that host MLS NEXT clubs are Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

 

At least one more club will join the fold next year, as the Michigan Futbol Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., announced in December that it was adding a club to the league for the 2025-26 school year.

 

The U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy lasted from 2007-2020 before it excited the arena and MLS NEXT was created shortly after that point. It became a 10-month program back in the summer of 2012 when it was still under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy.

 

Below is a current list of MLS NEXT clubs followed by a state-by-state and Canadian provinces breakdown of the league in 2024-25:

 

MLS NEXT MEMBER CLUBS

(2024-25 School Year)

 

A.C. River (Texas)

Achilles FC (Maryland)

AFC Lightning (Georgia)

ALBION SC Los Angeles (California)

ALBION SC Las Vegas (Nevade)

ALBION SC Merced (California)

ALBION SC San Diego (California)

Alexandria SA (Virginia)

Athletum FC Academy (Florida)

Atlanta United FC (Georgia)

Atletico Santa Rosa (California)

Austin FC (Texas)

Ballistic United (California)

Baltimore Armour (Maryland)

Barca Residency Academy (Arizona)

Bavarian United SC (Wisconsin)

Bayside FC (Rhode Island)

Beachside Soccer Club Connecticut (Connecticut)

Beadling SC (Pennsylvania)

Bethesda SC (Maryland)

Blau Weiss Gottschee (New York)

Breakers FC (California)

Capital City SC (Texas)

Carolina Core FC (North Carolina)

Cedar Stars Academy-Bergen (New Jersey)

Cedar Stars Academy-Monmouth (New Jersey)

CF Montreal (Quebec, Canada)

Chargers Soccer Club (Florida)

Charlotte FC (North Carolina)

Chicago FC United (Illinois)

Chicago Fire FC (Illinois)

Chula Vista FC (California)

Cincinnati United Premier Soccer Club (Ohio)

City SC San Diego (California)

Colorado Rapids (Colorado)

Colorado Rapids Youth SC (Colorado)

Columbus Crew SC (Ohio)

Connecticut United FC (Connecticut)

Dallas Hornets (Texas)

DC United (Virgina)

De Anza Force (California)

Diablo Valley Wolves (California)

Downtown United Soccer Club (New York)

FA Euro New York (New York)

FC Bay Area Surf (California)

FC Cincinnati (Ohio)

FC Dallas (Texas)

FC DELCO (Pennsylvania)

FC Golden State Force (California)

FC Greater Boston Bolts (Massachusetts)

FC Westchester New York (New York)

Florida Rush (Florida)

Global Football Innovation Academy (Texas)

Hoosier Premier (Indiana)

Hoover-Vestavia Soccer (Alabama)

Houston Dynamo (Texas)

Houston Rangers (Texas)

IDEA Toros Futbol Academy (Texas)

IdeaSport Soccer Academy (Florida)

IMG Academy (Florida)

Indy Eleven (Indiana)

Inter Atlanta FC (Georgia)

Inter Miami CF (Florida)

Intercontinental Football Academy of New England (Massachusetts)

Ironbound Soccer Club (New Jersey)

Jacksonville FC (Florida)

Javanon FC (Kentucky)

Keystone FC (Pennsylvania)

KSA (Georgia)

LA Galaxy (California)

Lamorinda SC (California)

Lanier Soccer Association (Georgia)

Las Vegas Sports Academy (Nevada)

Long Island Soccer Club (New York)

Los Angeles Bulls Soccer Club (California)

Los Angeles Football Club (California)

Los Angeles Soccer Club (California)

Los Angeles Surf (California)

Lou Fusz Athletic (Missouri)

Louisiana TDP Elite (Louisiana)

Metropolitan Oval (New York)

Miami Futbol Academy Rush (Florida)

Michigan Jaguars (Michigan)

Michigan Wolves (Michigan)

Midwest United (Michigan)

Minnesota United FC (Minnesota)

Modesto Ajax United (California)

Murrieta Soccer Academy (California)

Napa United (California)

Nashville SC (Tennessee)

Nashville United Soccer Academy (Tennessee)

NEFC (Massachusetts)

New England Revolution (Massachusetts)

New York City FC (New York)

New York Red Bulls (New Jersey)

New York Soccer Club (New York)

Nomads (California)

Oakwood Soccer Club (Connecticut)

Orlando City SC (Florida)

Orlando City Soccer School South (Florida)

Orlando City Youth SC (Florida)

PA Classics (Pennsylvania)

Philadelphia Union (Pennsylvania)

Phoenix Rising FC (Arizonia)

Players Development Academy (New Jersey)

Portland Timbers (Oregon)

Queen City Mutiny FC (North Carolina)

Real Colorado (Colorado)

Real Futbol Academy (New Jersey)

Real Salt Lake (Utah)

Rochester NY FC Academy (New York)

RSL Arizona (Arizona)

RSL Arizona Mesa (Arizona)

Sacramento Republic (California)

Sacramento United (California)

San Francisco Glens (California)

San Francisco Seals (California)

San Jose Earthquakes (California)

Santa Barbara Soccer Club (California)

SC Del Sol (Arizona)

SC Wave (Wisconsin)

Seacoast United (New Hampshire)

Seattle Sounders FC (Washington)

Shattuck-St. Mary`s (Minnesota)

Silicon Valley SA (California)

SoCal Reds FC (California)

Sockers FC (Illinois)

South Florida Football Academy (Florida)

Southern States Soccer Club (Mississippi)

Southern Soccer Academy (Georgia)

Sporting Athletic Club (Delaware)

Sporting Kansas City (Missouri)

Springfield SYC (Virginia)

St. Louis City SC (Missouri)

St. Louis Scott Gallagher (Missouri)

Strikers FC (California)

Tampa Bay United (Florida)

Tormenta FC Academy (Georgia)

Toronto FC Academy (Ontario, Canada)

Total Futbol Academy (California)

Triangle United Soccer Association (North Carolina)

TSF Academy-New Jersey (New Jersey)

Valeo FC (Massachusetts)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (British Columbia, Canada)

Vardar Soccer Club (Michigan)

Ventura County Fusion (California)

Wake FC (North Carolina)

West Florida Flames (Florida)

West Virginia Soccer (West Virginia)

Weston FC (Florida)

WSC Crush (California)

 

 

NEW CLUBS FOR 2025-26

Michigan Futbol Club (Michigan)

 

 

CLUBS BY STATE OR CANADIAN PROVINCES

 

Alabama (1)

Hoover-Vestavia Soccer

 

Arizona (5)

Barca Residency Academy

Phoenix Rising FC

RSL Arizona

RSL Arizona Mesa

SC Del Sol

 

California (34)

ALBION SC Los Angeles

ALBION SC Merced

ALBION SC San Diego

Atletico Santa Rosa

Ballistic United

Breakers FC

Chula Vista FC

City SC San Diego

De Anza Force

Diablo Valley Wolves

FC Bay Area Surf

FC Golden State Force

LA Galaxy

Lamorinda SC

Los Angeles Bulls Soccer Club

Los Angeles Football Club

Los Angeles Soccer Club

Los Angeles Surf

Modesto Ajax United

Murrieta Soccer Academy

Napa United

Nomads

Sacramento Republic

Sacramento United

San Francisco Glens

San Francisco Seals

San Jose Earthquakes

Santa Barbara Soccer Club

Silicon Valley SA

SoCal Reds FC

Strikers FC

Total Futbol Academy

Ventura County Fusion

WSC Crush

 

Colorado (3)

Colorado Rapids

Colorado Rapids Youth SC

Real Colorado

 

Connecticut (3)

Beachside Soccer Club Connecticut

Connecticut United FC

Oakwood Soccer Club

 

Delaware (1)

Sporting Athletic Club

 

District of Columbia (D.C.)

D.C. United

 

Florida (15)

Athletum FC Academy

Chargers Soccer Club

Florida Rush

IdeaSport Soccer Academy

IMG Academy

Inter Miami CF

Jacksonville FC

Miami Futbol Academy Rush

Orlando City SC

Orlando City Soccer School South

Orlando City Youth SC

South Florida Football Academy

Tampa Bay United

West Florida Flames

Weston FC

 

Georgia (7)

AFC Lightning

Atlanta United

Inter Atlanta FC

KSA

Lanier Soccer Academy

Southern Soccer Academy

Tormenta FC Academy

 

Illinois (3)

Chicago FC United

Chicago Fire FC

Sockers FC

 

Indiana (2)

Hoosier Premier

Indy Eleven

 

Kentucky (1)

Javanon FC

 

Louisiana (1)

Louisiana TDP Elite

 

Maryland (3)

Achilles FC

Baltimore Armour

Bethesda SC

 

Massachusetts (5)

FC Greater Boston Bolts

Intercontinental Football Academy of New England

NEFC

New England Revolution

Valeo FC

 

Michigan (4)

Michigan Jaguars

Michigan Wolves

Midwest United

Vardar Soccer Club

 

Minnesota (2)

Minnesota United FC

Shattuck-St. Mary’s

 

Mississippi (1)

Southern States Soccer Club

 

Missouri (4)

Lou Fusz Athletic

Sporting Kansas City

St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis Scott Gallagher

 

Nevada (2)

Albion SC Las Vegas

Las Vegas Sports Academy

 

New Hampshire (1)

Seacoast United

 

New Jersey (7)

Cedar Stars Academy-Bergen

Cedar Stars Academy-Monmouth

Ironbound Soccer Club

New York Red Bulls

Player Development Academy

Real Futbol Academy

TSF Academy-NJ

 

New York (9)

Blau Weiss Gottschee

Downtown United Soccer Club

FA Euro New York

FC Westchester New York

Long Island Soccer Club

Metropolitan Oval

New York City FC

New York Soccer Club

Rochester NY FC Academy

 

North Carolina (5)

Carolina Core FC

Charlotte FC

Queen City Mutiny FC

Triangle United Soccer Association

Wake FC

 

Ohio (3)

Cincinnati United Premier Soccer Club

Columbus Crew SC

FC Cincinnati

 

Oregon (1)

Portland Timbers

 

Pennsylvania (5)

Beadling SC

FC Delco

Keystone FC

PA Classics

Philadelphia Union

 

Rhode Island (1)

Bayside FC

 

Tennessee (2)

Nashville SC

Nashville United Soccer Academy

 

Texas (9)

A.C. River                              

Austin FC

Capital City SC

Dallas Hornets

FC Dallas

Global Football Innovation Academy

Houston Dynamo

Houston Rangers

IDEA Toros Futbol Academy

 

Utah (1)

Real Salt Lake

 

Virginia (2)

Alexandria SA

Springfield South County Youth Club

 

Washington (1)

Seattle Sounders FC

 

West Virginia (1)

West Virginia Soccer

 

Wisconsin (1)

Bavarian United SC

SC Wave

 

Canadian Provinces

 

Ontario (1)

Toronto FC

 

Quebec (1)

CF Montreal

 

British Columbia (1)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

 

States Without an MLS NEXT Youth Team (13)

Alaska

Arkansas

Hawaii

Idaho

Iowa

Kansas

Montana

Nebraska

North Dakota

Oklahoma

South Carolina

South Dakota

Vermont

Wyoming

 

 




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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, 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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