CHARLESTON, S.C. (Nov. 5, 2026) – The National 1 League, the top team-based competition in US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer, is proud to announce its inaugural postseason in summer 2027, which is a collaborative series with ECNL.
There will be four ECNL Conference League Playoffs, of which the top two U-13 through U-17 teams of each then advance to the ENL Conference League Finals. The U-19 age group is a single-stage postseason with teams competing for that respective Playoff event’s title, rather than advancing to the Finals.
N1 teams must win their district to earn a spot in the postseason with a handful of second slots per district awarded via lottery. A breakdown of the qualifying spots per district is on the Postseason web page.
At the ECNL Conference League Playoffs, N1 teams will face off against ECNL Regional League qualifiers. ECNL recently announced its full 2027 postseason details, inclusive of ECNL, ECNL RL and the ECNL Conference League. While ECNL RL continues to have its own postseason events, this summer, opportunities within the ECNL RL have now expanded to include the collaboration with N1.
2027 ECL Conference League Playoffs (U-13 through U-19 qualifiers)
- South / June 11-15 in Dallas, TX at Dallas Sports Park
- West / June 11-15 in Davis, CA at Davis Legacy Soccer Complex
- Central / June 18-22 in St. Louis, MO at Creve Coeur Park Soccer Complex
- East / June 25-29 in Greensboro, NC at Bryan Park Soccer Complex
2027 ECNL Conference League Finals (U-13 through U-17 qualifiers from the Playoffs)
- July 15-18 in Atlanta, GA at Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center
“The foundation of the National 1 League is collaboration, and the inaugural postseason is demonstration of that, said Marc Frankland, N1 Commissioner. “I’m grateful to ECNL for hosting the postseason series and to U.S. Soccer for welcoming us at the National Training Center. N1 teams are going to impress this summer, and I can’t wait to cheer them on.”
The National 1 League is made up of 34 districts across the country and is expected to eclipse 120,000 players in the 2026-27 season, demonstrating significant momentum and support for the platform and its founding principles. Its most fundamental principle is creating a clear pathway in youth soccer that values participants over brand infighting. In its inaugural season, the N1 platform has welcomed previous National Premier Leagues and National League participants, empowering US Club Soccer-sanctioned leagues and US Youth Soccer-sanctioned leagues and state associations to be the custodians of the National 1 League districts. While acceptance into the National 1 League is an achievement for teams alone, its connectivity to the ECNL Regional League for the postseason and promotional potential for top-performing N1 clubs into the ECNL RL are also major highlights for the N1 platform.
Earlier this week, the National 1 League published an application for other leagues to become N1 qualifying leagues, beginning with the 2027-28 season. More information, including the application, is available here.
ABOUT NATIONAL 1 LEAGUE:
The National 1 League is the top team-based competition in US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer, elevating teams across the country into a unined nationa competition platform that culminates with the ECNL Conference League Playoffs and Finals. Beginning with its inaugural season in 2026-27, the National 1 League brings together two established league platforms – US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues and US Youth Soccer s National League – in ar extraordinary display of collaboration. Participants and their families benefit from a carefully constructed system of conferences and districts that provide clarity, reduce travel and costs, and increase access to talent identification and college scouting opportunities. The National 1 League offers a pathway into the ENL Regional League for top-performing clubs and a pathway into National 1 for teams excelling within their local competitions and state associations.