Founding members of USL Academy League’s Florida Division confirmed
TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League (USL) confirmed on Monday the founding members of the USL Academy League’s Florida Division.
The inaugural season of Academy League play is due to kick off in spring 2021, and will provide clubs in all three of the USL’s senior divisions with an elite youth development and competition platform.
The structure of the USL Academy League provides USL clubs a progressive model to develop local players for their Senior Team, at a lessened cost of traditional pre-professional academies. Doing so will also enable far more clubs and communities to participate, allowing for the regional division format which limits travel demand to teams and families.
The nine clubs set to compete in the Florida Division of the inaugural USL Academy League are as follows:
- FC Miami City: Miami, FL (USL League Two)
- Florida Elite SA: Jacksonville, FL (USL League Two)
- IMG Academy: Bradenton, FL (affiliated with Sarasota Metropolis FC of USL League Two)
- Miami FC: Miami, FL (USL Championship)
- Miramar United: Miramar, FL (affiliated with Treasure Coast Tritons of USL League Two)
- Tampa Bay Rowdies: St. Petersburg, FL (USL Championship)
- The Villages SC: The Villages, FL (USL League Two)
- Treasure Coast Tritons: Port St. Lucie, FL (USL League Two)
- Weston FC: Weston, FL (USL League Two)
Regional alignment announcements continue on Tuesday with the unveiling of the East-Central Division. For more information on the USL Academy League, visit usl-academy.com/academy-league.
