Path to Pro - USL Academy

United Soccer League provides a youth pathway for its member Clubs in the Championship, League One, League Two, Super League and W-League.

The USL Academy brand is composed of four key components: Standards, USL Academy Contracts, USL Academy Cup and USL Academy League.

USL ACADEMY STANDARDS

The purpose of the USL Academy Standards is to create optimal player development environments and provide local youth prospects the best chance of reaching the professional level, all league-approved USL Academy programs will be required to meet a set of minimum standards.

USL ACADEMY CONTRACTS

USL Academy contracts allow Academy products at USL clubs to sign, train and compete in matches with professional senior teams without affecting their eligibility to play college soccer.

USL ACADEMY CUP

The annual USL Academy Cup, presented by PUMA, is an elite tournament that brings teams to Tampa, Fla. from across the country to compete against unique teams they would not normally play. USL Academy Cup emphasizes the importance of on the field and off the field development with multiple panels throughout the weekend.

USL ACADEMY LEAGUE

USL Academy works diligently with each USL club to accelerate its strategic plans in the youth development space, with the ultimate goal of creating academies across all USL clubs. The USL Academy League provides elite youth talent from across the USL landscape an additional opportunity to compete at a high level for players U15-U19.