The Elite Academy League is composed of member clubs that represent Elite competitive clubs in their market and have shown to be of the standard and will benefit from being part of this platform. By unifying clubs from within the conferences, we have maintained the defining standards of previous elite platforms with a collective approach to making sure the platform sits atop the youth landscape.

Composed primarily by member clubs in the new MLS NEXT Platform, The Elite Academy League was created to extend best practices and standards to the entirety of a club’s player pool. This unique ability to work together within both platforms empowers clubs to maintain the highest standards in competitive soccer and unites them with a common goal and direction.

By unifying clubs from within the conferences, we have found a way to maintain the defining standards of the former DA and merge them with the new and enhanced standards of the “MLS NEXT.” This integration further presents long-needed flexibility in two key areas; (1) permission for all players to participate in High School Soccer and, (2) revising the substitution rules to encourage clubs to better utilize their player pools, especially when showcasing their players to college coaches.