The National 1 League is Idaho’s 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. The National 1 League offers a pathway into the ECNL Regional League for top-performing clubs and a pathway into National 1 for teams excelling within their local competitions and state associations.
This new competition is the result of bringing together US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues and US Youth Soccer’s National League, beginning with the 2026-27 season. The new league ushers in an era of collaboration in youth soccer that benefits more than 10,000 teams and 150,000 players.
The National 1 League’s inaugural season will be capped in summer 2027 at the ECNL Conference League Playoffs, as district qualifiers from this competition and the ECNL Regional League compete for championships.
Parents
The league benefits parents and families by reducing travel and providing clarity, as an initiative designed to stop the fracturing of the youth soccer landscape.
Players
The eight conferences were constructed to align with planned U.S. Soccer talent ID models, and the integration with ECNL Regional League provides greater access to college coaches.
Clubs
While the league is the top team-based competition in US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer, high-performing clubs are eligible for promotion to the ECNL Regional League.
To join National 1, please read the read League Standards below, and fill out BOTH applications
Registration Opens: Monday, June 1st, 2026
Registration Closes: Friday, June 26th, 2026
QUOTABLES
National 1 aligns with the broader goals of the U.S. Soccer Pathway Strategy. The work to connect pathways into the National 1 League begins now. Our team will partner with selected operators and the respective state associations across the country to develop district-level pathways that are more inclusive and easier for players and parents to understand. The goal is not to disrupt local leagues, but to connect them into a clearer national structure. This work will take time, but we are committed to building it thoughtfully.
– Marc Frankland, Commissioner of National 1 League
“An extraordinary amount of diligence and care are being put into the creation of this new competition. US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer and the ECNL are all working to provide a league platform that welcomes more players, minimizes travel, connects above and below in the current pathways structure, and is true to its name of elevating the best teams in the country.”
– Alexandra Rieben, US Club Soccer SVP of Programs & Partnerships
The new ECNL Conference League Playoffs, and the new competition pathway with US Club Soccer and USYS, will recognize and reward top performing teams at all levels of the pyramid, in a logical and transparent pathway.
– Christian Lavers, ECNL President
“We are committed to a competitive structure defined by clear standards, consistent accountability and expanded opportunity for players.”
– Tom Condone, US Youth Soccer CEO