“The formation of the Frontier Premier League serves our membership well in the South Central region,” said Leo Garcia, NPL General Manager. “The league complements the ECNL Regional League – Frontier by giving clubs a pathway to grow and develop. We look forward to a successful inaugural season for the Frontier Premier League.”

The Frontier Premier League represents a successful collaboration of two long-time youth soccer platforms – the ECNL, which was founded in 2009, and the NPL, which launched in 2011. ECNL Regional Leagues and NPL member leagues have formed complementary levels of competition in several regions, including the latest example: the Mid-Atlantic Premier League in the Northeast region.

The ECNL Regional League – Frontier was among a handful of leagues that are expanding or being created for the 2024-25 season, ECNL announced earlier this month. “These new clubs and leagues reflect a larger and more mobile pathway for clubs all over the country,” said ECNL Associate Commissioner Chris Leahey. “Clubs are being promoted from several of US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues based on their performances, and clubs are being added to the ECNL Regional League platform from other leagues.”

Frontier Premier League participating teams will compete for qualification to the 2025 NPL Finals, which will be held in July in Denver, Colorado, where qualifiers compete against other regional NPL member leagues throughout the country for championships. The NPL’s vision is to serve youth soccer by forming and collaborating with leagues, adopting the Players First philosophy and supporting US Club Soccer’s mission to foster the development of clubs.

Questions and league membership interest can be emailed to Matt Bernard, US Club Soccer South Central General Manager, at mbernard@usclubsoccer.org.

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Quotes from Frontier Premier League member clubs:

Arkansas Comets FC – “The Arkansas Comets are thrilled to be a part of the Frontier Premier League. From our club’s founding in 1992, we have always sought to provide our players with a premier training and competitive environment and with pathways for elite athletes to play at the next level. We look forward to participating in this new league.” – Samir Haj, Director

Blitz Academy FC – “Academy FC is incredibly excited to be one of the founding members of the NPL’s Frontier Premier League. This league, along with our ECNL RL members, fits our club identity with creating a perfect pathway for national championships, providing high-level soccer with like-minded clubs, college recruiting opportunities for our players looking to take the next step in their soccer career.” – Shawn Slater, Director of Business Operations

Dallas Surf – “Dallas Surf is excited and honored to be included in the new NPL Frontier Premier League. The clubs involved and the level of competition provide another great pathway for our top players. As we strive to meet our mission of being the best of the best, we look for opportunities to prove ourselves, and this is a great opportunity.” – Tony Cavalle, Executive Director of Soccer

Kernow Storm FC – “Storm FC is proud to be one of the founding members of the NPL’s Frontier Premier League, along with our long-lasting relationships with like-minded clubs in previous competitions. We are excited to provide our players with an additional opportunity for development. Our commitment to the player and their development process is a standard we expect from our coaching staff and program. Offering our community, teams and players the opportunity to compete and provide meaningful competitive games continues the club’s goal of competing at the highest levels of youth soccer.” – Antony Penna, Technical Director and Director of Soccer Operations

Southwest Missouri Rush SC – “We are thrilled to be joining the Frontier Premier League of the NPL. We believe the mission of the NPL closely aligns with our core values and our commitment to player development. This will also add another pathway for our players to compete at a regional and national level.” – Thaylan Johnson, Technical Director