NATIONAL ACADEMY LEAGUE - HOME
Our club in the Midwest just joined this. There are still many unanswered questions about this league and what level of teams will play in it. The word from our director is that many things concerning this league in past week have changed leading to many questions from other directors and coaches. There are lot of rumors and chit-chat going on about this league, its purpose, and teams that will play in it. Our club is in E64 this season (you can read about how ended up here in my December 20th post in the E64 thread
justabystander | Socal Soccer ). Long story short - we partner with the local MLS club for MLS Next and they keep a handful of our players on the MLS Next Roster and then recruit nationally for the rest of the roster. Politics gets our club rejected from joining ECNL because one of the local ECNL teams has a founding member director and rejects our application and other local club applications. Anyway...so now this National Academy League is created.
There are a lot of well known clubs in this new National Academy League (NAL). So far, no teams or conferences west of the Midwest. All conferences are from New England down to Florida and the eastern half of the Midwest teams. The questions concerning this league include which level of teams will be playing and is this league meant to replace or compete with any other leagues. Their website is still being built, but it also has a link for a Regional Academy League (RAL). Rumors also state that the NAL and RAL are meant to be a league designed to overtake ECNL and ECRL - but I don't know the source of any of the rumors.
What is known according to their press release is that teams will be able to participate in the IMG Cup College Showcase and a NAL Championship in June.
Thoughts anyone?
Twelve additional clubs join National Academy League for inaugural season - SoccerWire
East Coast based MLS NEXT clubs lead launch of National Academy League - SoccerWire