United Premier Soccer League

What United Premier Soccer League does

The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is a private, for-profit soccer league operating as the largest pro-development league in North America and the fourth tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. Founded in 2011 in Santa Ana, California by Leonel Lopez with 10 teams, the league was acquired by ELP Brands in January 2020 and is now headquartered in Miami, Florida with a satellite office in Los Angeles. It serves semi-professional soccer clubs and aspiring professional players across the United States, with over 900 teams nationwide competing across Premier, Division 1, Division 2, Women's, and Academy divisions; the Spring 2026 Premier Division alone features 344 clubs feeding a 32-team national playoff bracket.

The UPSL operates a membership-based league platform, generating revenue primarily through recurring team membership fees, supplemented by corporate sponsorships (Voit, Gatorade, Dick's Sporting Goods, TeamInn), service partnerships (Go4 for athletic training, TeamInn for travel), and event-based revenue around its two annual seasons (Spring/Fall) culminating in regional playoffs and national finals. The league's technology stack is conventional: a WordPress-hosted website at premier.upsl.com, a self-serve player/team registration portal at register.upsl.com, Constant Contact-powered email newsletters, and YouTube for livestreamed national finals. Each member club is independently owned and operated; the central league provides general liability insurance, COI provisioning for facility rentals, complimentary match balls, and a national competition framework.

Strategic differentiation centers on regulatory standing and player pipeline. Since 2022 the UPSL has held direct membership as a National Affiliate of the U.S. Soccer Federation, and in 2026 the league secured direct-entry berths for its Champion and Runner-Up into the 2027 U.S. Open Cup. The player base is notably international — participants from 90 nations, over 50% of Hispanic descent, average age 22.5 — supporting the league's positioning as a developmental bridge between youth and professional soccer. Recent moves include the rebranding of the A-League as Division 2 (effective Fall 2026) to formalize the pyramid, a partnership with the Houston Dynamo for a U13–U20 Pro Pathway Showcase (May 2026), and operational alliances with UCLA as national finals host and Go4 for participant safety.

Name

United Premier Soccer League

Legal name

United Premier Soccer League

Website

https://premier.upsl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The United Premier Soccer League operates the largest pro-development soccer league in North America, with 900+ clubs across Premier, Division 1, Division 2, Women's, and Academy divisions serving semi-professional clubs and aspiring professional players throughout the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semi-Professional Soccer League

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Championship & Cup Organizers (MPAKADAB)

Keywords

• Semi-professional soccer league
• Amateur soccer competition
• Soccer league management
• Youth soccer development
• Sports league operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Team Membership Fees: Clubs pay membership fees to join the UPSL and participate in the league's divisions. The league offers Premier Division, Division 1, Division 2, Women's, and Academy divisions.
2. Sponsorship: The league maintains corporate sponsors including Voit, Gatorade, Dick's Sporting Goods, and TeamInn for events and operations.
3. Event Revenue: Prize money distributed to winning teams - $150,000 total for Spring 2026 season across Premier Division, with $50,000 specifically for the National Championship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) operates a multi-tiered men's and women's soccer league in the United States, sitting as the 4th tier of the US Soccer pyramid. The league organizes more than 900 teams across Premier, Division 1, Division 2, Women's, and Academy divisions, running two seasons per year that culminate in regional conferences and a national playoff and championship tournament. Clubs purchase annual team memberships and compete for progression toward professional soccer and U.S. Open Cup qualification.

Product overview

The United Premier Soccer League operates as a multi-tiered soccer league platform with four main competitive divisions: Premier Division (top tier, 4th level of US Soccer pyramid), Division 1, Division 2 (formerly A-League), and Women's Division, plus an Academy program for youth development. The league offers additional products including National Finals (annual championship tournament with $50,000 prize), Regional Cups, Champions Cup, Player Registration, and Team Membership. With over 900 teams nationwide, UPSL provides a pro-development pathway from grassroots to professional soccer, with clubs eligible to compete in U.S. Open Cup Qualifying through its National Affiliate status with U.S. Soccer Federation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UPSL Premier: Top-tier division of the United Premier Soccer League
• UPSL Division 1
• UPSL Division 2
• UPSL Women's
• UPSL Academy

Products and services

• UPSL Premier Division The top tier of the UPSL competitive structure, featuring 344 clubs competing for 32 places in the National Playoff Bracket to become National Champion. Occupies the 4th tier of the US Soccer pyramid.
• UPSL Division 1

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Houston DynamocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2026The UPSL partnered with Houston Dynamo for a U13-U20 Player Pro Pathway Showcase at Houston Sports Park on May 3, 2026. The partnership provides young UPSL Academy players exposure to professional scouts and a pathway toward professional soccer.
• U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The UPSL achieved direct membership of the U.S. Soccer Federation as a National Affiliate in 2022. This affiliation enables UPSL clubs to compete in U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds. The partnership represents the league's official standing within the US Soccer pyramid.
• TeamInncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTeamInn is the official travel service partner for the UPSL, providing team accommodation options for national finals and travel services across the league. The partnership offers high-quality accommodations at preferred rates for UPSL community members.
• Go4coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGo4 is the official Participant Safety Provider for the UPSL. Through the partnership, UPSL clubs and conference operators have access to Go4's network of over 26,000 certified athletic trainers nationwide who are privately insured, state-credentialed, and HIPAA-compliant.
• VoitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVoit is an event sponsor for the UPSL Men's Championship Tournament, providing match balls and sponsorship support for national finals events.
• GatorademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerGatorade is an event sponsor for the UPSL Men's Championship Tournament at UCLA, providing hydration and sports beverage support.
• Dick's Sporting GoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDick's Sporting Goods is an event sponsor for the UPSL Men's Championship Tournament, providing retail sponsorship and support for national finals events.
• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA hosts the UPSL Men's Spring National Championship at Drake Stadium and Wallis Annenberg Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The partnership provides the venue for the league's premier championship event.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NISA (National Independent Soccer Association): Direct competitor offering independent club-owned soccer in the US with semi-pro and pro divisions, competing for similar clubs, sponsors, and aspirational players.
• USL League Two: Direct competitor and the USL's official pre-professional league, operating a summer season for college-age and aspiring professional players; backed by the broader United Soccer League ecosystem with deeper financial resources.
• Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL): Direct peer operating a nationwide amateur-to-semi-pro women's soccer league with a comparable independent-club membership model and similar player-development mission to UPSL's Women's division.
• USL W League: Pre-professional women's soccer league launched by the USL ecosystem in 2022; directly competes with UPSL Women's division for clubs, players, and women's-soccer sponsorships.
• National Premier Soccer League (NPSL): Direct competitor operating a nationwide semi-professional men's soccer league in the US 4th-tier pyramid with a similar club-membership, regional-conference, and national-finals structure.

Others

• U.S. Open Cup (Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup): Federation-sanctioned open knockout tournament in which UPSL clubs compete; not a direct competitor but represents the highest-stakes competitive context for UPSL member clubs and a key value proposition driver.

Regional players

• Giorgio Chinaglia Soccer League: Regional semi-professional soccer league operating in the New York metro area with a community-club model similar to UPSL's regional conferences; serves as a regional alternative for clubs in the Northeast.

Broad incumbents

• United Soccer League (USL): Broader incumbent governing body for multiple USL tiers (League One, League Two, W League); competes with UPSL for clubs and sponsors and represents the more established pathway to professional soccer in the US.
• USL League One: Tier-3 professional league operated by the United Soccer League; while a tier above UPSL, it serves as a developmental pathway target for UPSL clubs and shares sponsor and player-pool dynamics.
• MLS NEXT: Major League Soccer's official youth player development platform; adjacent competition for UPSL's Academy division talent pipeline and an aspirational pathway that competes for U13-U20 players.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/upslsoccer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTAe4BwetmjhfHpWi9bVn7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/UPSLsoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upslsoccer
• Instagraminstagram.com/upslsoccer
• TikToktiktok.com/@upsl_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Premier Soccer League