St. Louis City SC Become Latest MLS Academy To Join UPSL
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is proud to announce that St. Louis CITY SC has joined the league. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, the club will be part of the UPSL’s highly competitive KY / TN Conference – Premier Division. They are the ninth MLS club to enter a team into the UPSL.
St. Louis City SC Academy is operated by St. Louis City SC (MLS) and serves as a developmental tier in the franchise’s academy system. St. Louis City SC, founded in 2019, are set to be the 28th club to join the MLS. The Academy program has a strong leadership team in place led by Dale Schilly who serves as St. Louis City SC Academy Director.
“We are excited to have the St. Louis City SC Academy represented in the UPSL,” said Academy Director Dale Schilly. “The opportunity for our players to play high level soccer helps complete the pathway between our academy teams playing at the MLS NEXT level and the MLS NEXT Pro level of City2. This platform extends the pathway for our academy players and will produce players who will sign contracts or continue their careers collegiately.”
UPSL Commissioner Yan Skwara said “We are excited to welcome the St. Louis City SC Academy to the UPSL. This is an exciting new MLS club, and we are happy to be able to welcome them to the league. St. Louis City SC are building something extraordinary in St. Louis, Missouri and they are joining one of the most competitive conferences in the UPSL. As we welcome this brand-new MLS Academy club to the UPSL, we look forward to continuing working towards our mission of providing a pathway to the pros all over the country.”
St. Louis City SC Academy will make their UPSL regular season debut this Fall in the KY / TN Conference.
About St. Louis City SC
St. Louis CITY SC, one of the few majority female-led ownership groups in all of professional sports, was awarded Major League Soccer’s 28th expansion team in 2019. The St. Louis-based ownership group unveiled the club’s crest, logo and branding in 2020 and will take the pitch for their historic, inaugural season in 2023. Currently, CITY is constructing Centene Stadium, an STLMade 22,500-seat world-class soccer-specific stadium as part of the stadium district which includes practice facility and team headquarters all within the same urban campus in St. Louis’ Downtown West District to create a 24/7/365 fan experience that is furthering St. Louis’ continued growth and revitalization.
About United Premier Soccer League
The UPSL was formed in 2011 and occupies the unofficial fourth tier of US Soccer. Across its Premier, Division 1 and Womens leagues there are more than 400 teams competing nationwide. The UPSL is now the largest Pro Development League in North America and is a National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated. UPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the league’s affiliation with USSF.
More information about UPSL can be found at www.upsl.com or by following the league on Facebook (facebook.com/upslsoccer), Instagram (@upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer).
Contact UPSL: [email protected] / Media: [email protected]