The Eastern Premier Soccer League (EPSL) is a

United States Adult Soccer Association The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is a national organization for amateur soccer in the United States. It consists of 55 state organizations as well as national, regional and state leagues. The National Premier Soccer League, NISA ...

and a

National Independent Soccer Association The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States. The league is in the third tier of American soccer and began play in 2019. NISA initially used a fall-to-spring season format with a ...

affiliated Amateur Elite League that includes teams from the

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...

. Currently the league has members from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The league is a partnership between the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

based

Cosmopolitan Soccer League The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatly ...

and the

Maryland Major Soccer League Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...

. It is also an affiliate of the

, a professionally sanctioned third division soccer association.

History

The league was announced on July 23, 2020, in a joint effort between the

and

to create a regional based multi-league

promotion and relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...

system in the United States. The league's goal is to have merit-based promotion from local amateur leagues, including champions, with the possibility of being relegated back into the local feeder leagues at the end of the season. The initial slate of members included many of the clubs that participated in the first division of the CSL the previous season. In the following months, the EPSL added teams from additional leagues such as the Woodbridge Soccer League and

United Premier Soccer League The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...

. On September 8, 2020, the league announced that the New Jersey-based

Garden State Soccer League The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is a national organization for amateur soccer in the United States. It consists of 55 state organizations as well as national, regional and state leagues. The National Premier Soccer League, NI ...

would become a feeder league for the EPSL. A future promotion spot in the Metropolitan Conference of the EPSL will be determined in a playoff between the champion of the GSSL and the champion of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. On September 4, 2020, the

announced its latest amateur league affiliation with the EPSL. It joined the previously announced

Gulf Coast Premier League The Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) is a United States Adult Soccer Association affiliated Amateur Elite League that includes teams from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The regular season of the GCPL runs May through July. On ...

and

Midwest Premier League The Midwest Premier League (MWPL) is an American amateur and semi-professional soccer league. The league spans primarily the eastern and central portions of the Midwestern United States. History The league was founded by four clubs which we ...

in having in having an affiliation with the third division association. The affiliation includes at least two merit-based spots in the

NISA Independent Cup The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States. The league is in the third tier of American soccer and began play in 2019. NISA initially used a fall-to-spring season format with a ...

tournament and participation on the NISA Alliance Board.

2020-21 Season Teams

Metropolitan Conference

Mid-Atlantic Conference

Northeast Conference

2021-22 Season Teams

Northeast Conference

Metropolitan Conference

Delaware River Conference

Mid-Atlantic Conference

Year by year

Champions

EPSL Tier League System

, ,

References

External links

Eastern Premier Soccer League website
{{Soccer in the United States United States Adult Soccer Association leagues Soccer leagues in the United States Soccer in New York (state) Soccer in New York City Soccer in New Jersey Soccer in Pennsylvania Soccer in Maryland Soccer in Virginia 2020 establishments in New York (state) 2020 establishments in Maryland Sports leagues established in 2020 Regional Soccer leagues in the United States