Women's Premier Soccer League

Women's Premier Soccer League
Founded 1997 (1997)
Country United States
Canada
Confederation CONCACAF
Divisions 16
Number of teams 112
Level on pyramid 2
Current champions Fire & Ice SC
(2017)
Most championships California Storm
(3 titles)
Website Official site in English
WPSL 2017

The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is a national women's soccer league in the United States and Puerto Rico, and is on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, below National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and roughly equal with United Women's Soccer (UWS).

There are both professional/senior teams and amateur teams in the WPSL. An organization has to choose to be one or the other due to NCAA regulations, since collegiate players cannot play on pro teams.

The WPSL started as the Western Division of the W-League, before breaking away to form its own league in 1997. The league is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

The WPSL is unusual in that it is one of the few women's leagues to spawn a men's league, rather than the other way around: the Men's Premier Soccer League, later the National Premier Soccer League, was created as an offshoot of the WPSL in 2003. According to the official WPSL website, the WPSL is the largest (in terms of number of teams) women's soccer league in the world. It is adding two teams soon as well, with 2017 adding Minnesota Women's United and 2018 adding Force Soccer Club of San Jose, California.

When WPS suspended play for the 2012, WPSL moved forward with its ambitions toward professionalism and created the WPSL Elite League.[1] Officially, the Elite League was a pro-am league, though the vast majority of team (including three former WPS teams) were fully professional. The Elite league ceased operation in 2013. At the same time, an U-20 league was also created,[2] further expanding the WPSL structure. Teams in the U-20 will mostly be associated with existing WPSL teams, but some will be stand-alone organizations.

2017 Teams

Northwest Conference

NorCal Conference

Coastal Conference

Pacific South Conference

Mountain Conference

Southwest Conference (North)

Southwest Conference (South)

Heartland Conference

Valley Conference

Great Lakes Conference

New England Conference

Mid-Atlantic Conference

Metropolitan Conference

Colonial Conference

Carolinas Conference

Southeast Conference

Sunshine Conference

WPSL – League Champions (1998–current)

SeasonChampionCoachRunner-Up
1998Silicon Valley Red Devils
1999California Storm
2000San Diego WFC SeaLions
2001Ajax America Women
2002California Storm
2003Utah Spiders
2004California StormNew England Mutiny
2005F.C. IndianaPolandShek BorkowskiCalifornia Storm
2006Long Island FuryEngland Paul RileyRiver Cities FC
2007F.C. IndianaPolandShek BorkowskiNew England Mutiny
2008Ajax America WomenUnited States Brian BoswellArizona Rush
2009Long Island FuryEngland Paul RileyAjax America Women
2010Boston AztecUnited States Mike KerskerAjax America Women
2011Orange County WavesChicago Red Stars
2012Gulf Coast TexansAztec MA
2013San Diego WFC SeaLionsJen Lalor-NielsenHouston Aces
2014Beach Futbol Club Houston Aces
2015Chicago Red Stars ReservesUnited States Chris KingSoCal FC
2016Boston Breakers Reserves San Diego WFC SeaLions
2017Fire & Ice SC Gulf Coast Texans

Former Teams

See also

References

  1. ↑ "WPSL Elite League launches for 2012 with Flash, Breakers, Red Stars, FC Indiana". EqualizerSoccer.com. 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  2. ↑ "THE WOMEN'S PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (WPSL) ANNOUNCED NEW U-20 LEAGUE". wpsl.info. 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
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