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EPSL Announces New England Champions League to Become EPSL Northeast CONFERENCE and FEEDER LEague Agreement
BALTIMORE, NEW YORK, AND BOSTON (January 15, 2021) - The EPSL (www.epslsoccer.com & @epslsoccer on all social media) is proud to welcome the New England Champions League (www.newenglandchampionsleague.com and @newenglandchampionsleague on all social media), established in 2009, to the EPSL. The NECL's First Division will serve as the official EPSL Northeast Conference effective for the spring 2021 season. In addition, lower divisions of the NECL will continue to operate as the New England Champions League which has entered into a feeder league agreement with EPSL recognizing a pathway for players and clubs from an elite local New England soccer league to earn promotion to a premier regional amateur league in the EPSL.
Starting spring 2021, subject to restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPSL plans to crown champions in the Northeast, Metropolitan, and Mid-Atlantic Conferences. Each of these conference champions will win cash prizes and qualify to compete for the overall EPSL Championship where there will be additional cash prize and NISA Independent Cup entries on the line.
NECL League Manager, Sean Carey, had this to say about the partnership, “I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with like-minded people and help to provide a platform for adult players and clubs to compete in a merit-based league."
EPSL President Bill George said, “The EPSL is thrilled to work with NECL President Danielle Athanasiadis and Past President Jim Antonakas, who will now serve as the new Vice President of the EPSL, and the great clubs from the NECL. The EPSL is excited other forward thinking soccer leagues and clubs are open to collaboration and partnership to build a true pathway offering opportunities for clubs and players. We are thrilled to add a Northeast Conference to the EPSL and our fourth feeder league in the NECL.”
NECL Past President and newly elected EPSL Vice President Jim Antonakas had this to say, “I am honored and excited to be able to return to work with multiple grassroot leagues on the East Coast who really represent the heart and soul of USASA and its State Associations. I believe this is a very large group of likeminded individuals with dreams of how the US Soccer landscape should be. I see great things to come and believe the NECL and EPSL are just another example of a great partnership coming together to continue to develop promotion and relegation with strong competition as it is meant to be. I want every State Association and local League on the East Coast to take a good look at the EPSL as it can now serve as an elite platform for the USASA and all its great clubs and players.”
The new President of the NECL Danielle Athanasiadis added, “This new Affiliation with the EPSL, as its fourth feeder league, and first in the northeast, is right in line with our vision to continue to grow as a unique platform for player and club development in the Northeast. The opportunity to offer good local competition with the added element of promotion and relegation for aspiring clubs looking for something more is what made our decision easy to join forces with the EPSL.”
The EPSL has now entered into four feeder league agreements with the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (NYC), Garden State Soccer League (NJ), New England Champions League (NE), and the Maryland Major Soccer League (Bal/DC). These agreements coupled with the EPSL affiliation with NISA (one of only two USSF sanctioned Div. III Professional Soccer Leagues) is laying the foundation for promotion and relegation in the United States and a pathway for all clubs, their players, and supporters to grow and to gain exposure and opportunity.
Starting spring 2021, subject to restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPSL plans to crown champions in the Northeast, Metropolitan, and Mid-Atlantic Conferences. Each of these conference champions will win cash prizes and qualify to compete for the overall EPSL Championship where there will be additional cash prize and NISA Independent Cup entries on the line.
NECL League Manager, Sean Carey, had this to say about the partnership, “I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with like-minded people and help to provide a platform for adult players and clubs to compete in a merit-based league."
EPSL President Bill George said, “The EPSL is thrilled to work with NECL President Danielle Athanasiadis and Past President Jim Antonakas, who will now serve as the new Vice President of the EPSL, and the great clubs from the NECL. The EPSL is excited other forward thinking soccer leagues and clubs are open to collaboration and partnership to build a true pathway offering opportunities for clubs and players. We are thrilled to add a Northeast Conference to the EPSL and our fourth feeder league in the NECL.”
NECL Past President and newly elected EPSL Vice President Jim Antonakas had this to say, “I am honored and excited to be able to return to work with multiple grassroot leagues on the East Coast who really represent the heart and soul of USASA and its State Associations. I believe this is a very large group of likeminded individuals with dreams of how the US Soccer landscape should be. I see great things to come and believe the NECL and EPSL are just another example of a great partnership coming together to continue to develop promotion and relegation with strong competition as it is meant to be. I want every State Association and local League on the East Coast to take a good look at the EPSL as it can now serve as an elite platform for the USASA and all its great clubs and players.”
The new President of the NECL Danielle Athanasiadis added, “This new Affiliation with the EPSL, as its fourth feeder league, and first in the northeast, is right in line with our vision to continue to grow as a unique platform for player and club development in the Northeast. The opportunity to offer good local competition with the added element of promotion and relegation for aspiring clubs looking for something more is what made our decision easy to join forces with the EPSL.”
The EPSL has now entered into four feeder league agreements with the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (NYC), Garden State Soccer League (NJ), New England Champions League (NE), and the Maryland Major Soccer League (Bal/DC). These agreements coupled with the EPSL affiliation with NISA (one of only two USSF sanctioned Div. III Professional Soccer Leagues) is laying the foundation for promotion and relegation in the United States and a pathway for all clubs, their players, and supporters to grow and to gain exposure and opportunity.
About the Eastern Premier Soccer League
Formed in 2020, the EPSL is a 501(c) non-profit corporation. Unlike other closed national and regional leagues, the clubs and feeder leagues will participate in governance including the establishing of fees, prize money, and scheduling to manage costs and ensure travel aligns with the expectations of the clubs.
In 2020 EPSL has reached historical feeder league agreements with four elite amateur soccer leagues in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL) in the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey’s Garden State Soccer League (GSSL), the New England Champions League (NECL), and the Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC based Maryland Major Soccer League (MMSL) to establish the first regional based multi-league promotion and relegation system in the United States.
The CSL, GSSL, NECL, and MMSL have produced US Open Cup and National Amateur champions and have some of the top amateur teams in the United States. Five member clubs of the EPSL have qualified and competed in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in recent years. The EPSL is also an affiliate of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) and EPSL clubs will earn the right to compete in the NISA Independent Cup against NISA professional clubs.
EPSL clubs are also affiliated with the US Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), through their state associations and, as such, will be eligible to participate in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying rounds, the US National Amateur Cup and state and regional cup competitions.
In 2020 EPSL has reached historical feeder league agreements with four elite amateur soccer leagues in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL) in the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey’s Garden State Soccer League (GSSL), the New England Champions League (NECL), and the Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC based Maryland Major Soccer League (MMSL) to establish the first regional based multi-league promotion and relegation system in the United States.
The CSL, GSSL, NECL, and MMSL have produced US Open Cup and National Amateur champions and have some of the top amateur teams in the United States. Five member clubs of the EPSL have qualified and competed in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in recent years. The EPSL is also an affiliate of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) and EPSL clubs will earn the right to compete in the NISA Independent Cup against NISA professional clubs.
EPSL clubs are also affiliated with the US Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), through their state associations and, as such, will be eligible to participate in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying rounds, the US National Amateur Cup and state and regional cup competitions.
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