Based on the NPSL website it looks like 3 teams already out for 2017: Chicago Mustangs, Nashville FC, and Ft Lauderdale Strikers U-23.
FC Arizona Joins the NPSL The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that FC Arizona (Mesa, AZ) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the West Region’s Southwest Conference. “We are very excited to have FC Arizona as the newest member of the NPSL,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “This announcement shows our continued commitment to growing the game in the West. It also allows us to build a presence in the state of Arizona. This is an exciting day for everyone involved in the NPSL.” FC Arizona is led by Owner/General Manager Scott Taylor, Head Coach Aidan Davison, and Director of Soccer Operations Tim Barmettler. Taylor has been an insurance agency owner for over 15 years in the East Valley, having built the largest MetLife Auto and Home agency in Arizona. He is incredibly involved in the community, serving on the Economic Development Advisory Board for the City of Chandler and as past president of the Chandler Rotary Club. He has also been active with the Mesa and Chandler Chamber of Commerce groups. Davison played 20 years as a professional, including time in the English Premier League with Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City. He also represented Northern Ireland in European Championship and World Cup qualifying, retiring at the age of 40 with over 400 appearances at all levels. Davison has become a major figure in the coaching community, having served as Reserve Team Manager at Hull City and Head Coach at Jax Destroyers. Bartmettler was the first men's and women's soccer coach in Benedictine University at Mesa history. He brings 27 years of coaching experience on both the men's and women's sides at various levels. Barmettler's most recent coaching stop was at Mesa Community College, where he had been coaching since 2012. He also manages the Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club in Gilbert, AZ, one of the largest and most successful clubs in the state of Arizona. “We chose the NPSL for several reasons,” Taylor added. “The level of play is very high and I was impressed with teams like NY Cosmos B, Chattanooga FC, and Detroit City FC and having the NASL reserve teams involved. We believe this pushes the league to get better as a whole. We also liked the structure of the league schedule and feel that the league is very organized and well-run.” The Red Lions will play their home matches at John Riggs Stadium on the campus of Mesa Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the country with over 20,000 students. The stadium seats 6,000. “We want to show the country that the talent that Arizona produces can compete with any market in the country,” Taylor concluded. “We feel like the league has raised the bar so we will be pushing ourselves to get better. We are excited to have the NPSL’s Southwest Conference competing in Arizona with quality California teams like Albion SC Pros and North County Battalion. We think the fans will be very happy with the product on the field.” FC AZ had their launch party on August 5th, an event that had several hundred people in attendance. The club was thrilled with the support from the community, especially the interest from their own supporters’ group called The Rampants. More information about FC Arizona can be found at fcarizona.com or by following the club on Facebook (facebook.com/FCArizonaSoccer), Instagram (@fcarizonasoccer), and Twitter (@fcarizonasoccer).
There is a team in Redding, CA that might be trying to join the NPSL. This is their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ReddingRoyalsFC/ I'm just a player who's interested so I don't know too much. They mentioned in the comments of one of their posts that they want to apply for the NPSL. However there is also the new Pacific Premiere League which is for teams in Northern California (meaning the bulk of the teams are in the largely ignored area north of Sacramento). I think it would be great to have the team in the NPSL though, since there aren't the age restrictions, and high standard of play (correct me if I'm wrong).
I believe this was posted elsewhere but basically Kitsap Pumas and possibly a couple of others may head to the NPSL.
The Minnesota TwinStars are out for this year I've heard. There may be another Chicago team joining to take the Mustangs' place. The Midwest Conference will be realigned from three divisions to two. There was a rumor the Cedar Rapids team would move up from the PLA, and perI'd love to get the Madison 56ers back in the NPSL. Oh, and the Milwaukee Torrent are looking stronger than last year!
http://midfieldpress.com/2016/11/08/kitsap-sc-sees-a-brighter-future-in-npsl/ Kitsap SC Sees A Brighter Future In NPSL
Hartford is apparently in the "final stages: http://midfieldpress.com/2016/11/11...aims-to-make-good-on-anothers-broken-promise/
Asheville (NC) City SC joins as an expansion team. https://twitter.com/AshevilleCitySC http://www.ashevillecitysc.com/
NPSL press release: Asheville City Soccer Club Joins the NPSL The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that Asheville City Soccer Club (Asheville, NC) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the South Region. “We welcome Asheville City Soccer Club with great excitement,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “The NPSL is proud to provide a platform for Asheville City Soccer Club to grow and support the game within their city and Western North Carolina.” Asheville City is led by a group of six owners: Chairman/CFO Jimmy Wheeler, President Ryan Kelley, General Manager Allen Bradley, Director of Revenue Management Jordan Vance, Director of Community Outreach Josh Yoakum, and Director of Communications Andrew Hunter. All members of the ownership group are natives of Western North Carolina. ACSC has already secured Gary Hamel to serve as head coach. Hamel is the head coach of the Mars Hill University men's soccer team. During his tenure at MHU Hamel has coached five All-Region players and a Daktronics All-American. He was named the SAC Coach of the Year following the 2012 campaign that saw the Lions claim the SAC regular season title and an NCAA tournament appearance. He also spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Oregon State men's soccer program. “We want to bring the city of Asheville together under one set of colors to support the game at the next level,” Wheeler added. “We expect to build a strong roster consisting of the region’s top talent and elite players from across the country and around the world with the intention of competing at a high level right away.” Asheville City will play its home matches at Memorial Stadium in Downtown Asheville. The 3,000-seat venue was built in 1925 as a memorial to the area’s war veterans and to serve as the region’s premier sports venue. "The club is committed to downtown Asheville and making Memorial Stadium our home,” Wheeler continued. “We are investing in a restoration of the playing surface for the 2017 season and look forward to the full renovation of the stadium as approved in the bond referendum." More information about the club can be found at www.ashevillecitysc.com or by following the club on Facebook (@AshevilleCitySC), Twitter (@AshevilleCitySC), Instagram (AshevilleCitySC), Reddit (r/AshevilleCitySC), and Snapchat (AshevilleCitySC). “Our club brings an exciting and growing market with a long history of love and support for the game,” Wheeler concluded. “We have a beautiful downtown location that is a short walk from Asheville’s best restaurants and breweries. We are strongly committed to the growth and development of soccer in the United States.”
[QUOTE="annapolis, post: 34573627, member: 15707Nashville FC[/QUOTE] http://www.internashvillefc.com/news.html Stay connected to find out about the BIG announcement from the NPSL later this week. Inter Nashville FC is excited to announce that Richard Askey will be Head Coach for the 2017 NPSL Season. Coach Askey's Assistant Coach for the upcoming season will be Jomo Cromwell. 'I'm really excited and proud to be named Head Coach at Inter Nashville FC and I relish the challenges that lie ahead", Coach Askey said. 'With Coach Cromwell by my side we have over 20 years experience in the PDL and NPSL and hope to use this to create a competitive and exciting team for the people of Nashville to get behind" said Coach Askey.
Orange County FC Joins the NPSL The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that Orange County FC (South Orange County, CA) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the West Region’s Southwest Conference. “We are thrilled to welcome Orange County Football Club to the National Premier Soccer League,”NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “We continue to attract strong interest from teams in Southern California that share the NPSL's vision and appreciate our cooperative membership structure as a foundation for their success.” OCFC is led by the ownership group of Nader Dejbakhsh, Carmel Dejbakhsh, and Dara Dejbakhsh. Nader is the President and Co-Founder of DND Groups, Inc., which owns and operates 14 Burger Kings and six Dairy Queens in four states, employing over 500 people. He has been in the restaurant franchise business since 2002. Prior to DND Groups, Inc., he owned and operated as the largest franchisee of Mrs. Fields Cookies in the nation with 52 stores. He had an accounting firm for over 12 years before becoming involved in the restaurant business. He also holds a national “D” coaching license and has coached in various levels from high school to club soccer. He also played NCAA Division I soccer for four years in addition to serving as a referee at the collegiate level. Carmel is the Vice President of Public Relations for Orange County FC. She has been involved with the soccer business side of their ventures since 2008. She has managed the back office of the organization to date, including public relations and social media. Dara is the CEO and Co-Founder of DND Groups. Inc. He additionally owns Tru Clean, Inc., a commercial cleaning company, and RSP International, an import and export company. Prior to DND Groups, Inc., he was the COO & Executive Vice President of Mrs. Field Famous Brands and Vice President of Operations of Allied Domecq. Additionally he has served as a board member of many publicly traded companies. Bryan Wallace will serve as Head Coach and Director of Soccer for Orange County FC. A coach with 20 years of experience, Wallace was the 2012 Cal South Coach of the Year and has won five Cal South National Cup titles. He holds a USSF “B” coaching licenses and represented Jamaica at the U17 and U20 levels. “We bring an attractive brand of combination soccer and an organized attacking and defending style that's unique,” OCFC CEO and Founder Nader Dejbakhsh added. “At this point we feel that NPSL offers us the best competition and platform for the future of our club.” OCFC are the current SoCal Premier U23 champions. They recently recorded an impressive undefeated season, going 13-0, after scoring 59 goals and allowing only eight in all competitions. Notable players for OCFC are Patrick Ianni, former Seattle Sounders and U.S. Olympic standout, and Tomas Canali, a current member of the US National Beach Soccer Team and a veteran of two Beach Soccer World Cups. More information about the club can be found at www.ocfcsoccer.com or by following the club on Facebook (@ocfcsoccer), Twitter (@ocfcsoocer), and Instagram (@orangecountyfc).
TSF Academy in Wayne, New Jersey is latest expansion team. http://www.tsfacademy.com/news/2016-nov25.htm
Expansion news set to hit again soon... Rumor, or whatever, but Ozark FC from Arkansas already announcing their move -- https://twitter.com/Ozark_FC.
Hartford City FC (Hartford, Connecticut) is newest expansion member. http://midfieldpress.com/2016/11/11...aims-to-make-good-on-anothers-broken-promise/ (old article)
Hartford City FC Joins the NPSL NPSL is proud to announce that Hartford City FC (Hartford, CT) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the Northeast Region’s Atlantic Conference. “Hartford is an important step in the Northeast,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “It’s a huge soccer community surrounded by a wealth of elite collegiate soccer. It’s a tremendous bridge between Boston and New York City.” Hartford City FC is led by Aaron Sarwar and Hami Kara. Sarwar, who will serve as the club’s owner, is a Hartford native with a deep passion and love for his hometown. He is an officer in the Connecticut Air National Guard. His family owns the Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan, a Hartford restaurant which is now in its 28th year. Aaron’s father, Naseer Sarwar, is a partner and investor in the team. Kara, who will serve as the team’s captain, is a goalkeeper with considerable experience. It all started with a plethora of awards at Wethersfield High School, including All-Conference, Conference Player of the Year, All-State, and NSCAA All-New England honors. He would go on to become an NSCAA All-American in junior college before a prolific career at the University of Pittsburgh. During his time at Pitt, he would earn Big East Goalkeeper of the Week honors three times and finish in the top 10 in shutouts in school history. As a professional he would spend six months in Turkey with several prestigious clubs in addition to playing for the Columbus Crew during the 2013 MLS preseason. “Our goal is to get on the field and bring soccer to Hartford,” Sarwar added. “We believe that we have the biggest untapped soccer fan base in the country.” More information about the club can be found at www.hartfordcity.comor by following the club on Facebook (@HartfordCityFCSoccer). “We joined the NPSL because it is a respected league with a proven track record,” Sarwar concluded. “They have had great success in markets such as Hartford.”
I know, right? When Lehigh Valley Sonic Or Whatever They Are Called These Days jumped to the PDL a bit ago, it was not common. Seems like the floodgates have opened now.
Oxnard Guerreros FC Joins the NPSL NPSL is proud to announce that Oxnard Guerreros FC (Oxnard, CA) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the West Region’s Southwest Conference. “We are very excited to have Oxnard Guerreros FC as part of the NPSL,”NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “This announcement shows our commitment in the West, once again growing the Southwest Conference. The NPSL platform is the right choice for those clubs, like Oxnard, that are looking to help players reach the next level.” OGFC is led by Founder Ty Otto and Head Coach Paulo Monlleo. Otto graduated from California Lutheran University with a BA in Marketing Communications. He is a lifelong soccer player, surfer, and Everton Football Club fan. Born and raised in Brazil, Monlleo created a name for himself in Porto Alegre and the Brazil U16’s. Twenty years later Monlleo has established himself as one of the best coaches in Santa Barbara and Ventura County. He has worked with the Ventura County Fusion and UCSB men’s and women’s soccer as well as numerous high schools and development academies in the area. “Our goals for the first season are to establish ourselves in the NPSL as a major threat and put Oxnard soccer on the map,” Otto added. “We have a number of development clubs and amateur teams that are hungry to play the beautiful game at a higher level. We bring a community that bleeds talent and has immense passion for soccer. Los Guerreros are bringing to the NPSL true quality grassroots soccer with local athletes and fanatic supporters.” Oxnard Guerreros FC is a club on a mission to help athletes in Ventura County play at a professional level in addition to offering the community quality sports entertainment on weekends. The City of Oxnard has many great development and amateur clubs and the club is honored to provide any local player the opportunity to continue their career to the top. “Our philosophy of growing local soccer in America runs parallel with the NPSL,” Otto concluded. “The quality of competition combined with our common goal is why we are excited to join the league.” More information about the club can be found at www.oxnardguerrerosfc.com or by following the club on Facebook (facebook.com/oxnardguerrerosfc).
NPSL is proud to announce that Tyler Football Club (Tyler, TX) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the South Region’s South Central Conference. “It’s very special to have one of our former players start their own club in the NPSL,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “We know that Tyler FC will help raise the level of competition in the region. It’s an amazing time for our fans and supporters in the Lone Star State. ” Tyler FC is led by the Avila family and Beto Ortega. Christopher Avila, who will serve as President and General Manager, played semi-professional indoor soccer at just 16 years old and went on to play for San Luis Potosi in Mexico. He also played at Richland College, Thomas University, and Dallas City FC. Vice President Gloria Avila has been in Tyler, Texas for approximately 35 years and owns two separate businesses. Cesar and Jenniffer Avila are also owners and will be helping with stadium operations during the NPSL season. Ortega will be the Director of Player Development. He is very involved in the soccer community in Tyler, especially within the youth ranks. He will also help move players from the club’s academy to their first team program. “We believe Tyler FC will bring competition on a national level,” Christopher Avila added. “Tyler truly is a diamond in the rough and I would like to help expose the talents available here. It has also been a lifelong dream and goal of mine to own a serious soccer club here and the NPSL is helping make my dreams come true.” More information about the Kings can be found at tylerfootballclub.com or by following the club on Facebook (@FCTylerKings), Twitter (@FCTylerKings), and Instagram (@FCTylerKings). “Our goal is to compete in the national championship,” Christopher Avila concluded.