Four area clubs joining new National Academy League

Four area clubs with MLS Next teams have signed on along with a number of other independent MLS Next academies to a new National Academy League that will begin this fall with teams along the East Coast from Florida to Maine.

FC Delco, PA Classics, Real Jersey and Sporting Athletic club will have teams for boys at the U13 through U18/19 levels. All four clubs are expected to continue to also field teams in MLS Next.

The area clubs will be part of the 10-team Mid-Atlantic Conference in the league, which will have five conferences and 54 clubs in total for the first year.

Other clubs in the Mid-Atlantic Conference include Alexandria, Achilles, SACBA, Bethesda SC, PDA and SYC.

The NAL appears to be a competitor to ECNL’s national and regional leagues on the boys side and the U.S. Youth Soccer National League and Elite 64 platforms. It’s not clear whether the schedule will allow for players to play in high school though as ECNL and USYS’s national leagues do. With a few exceptions, MLS Next restricts players from competing for their high schools.

For more information, visit www.nationalacademyleague.com.