USYS National League Link
FRISCO, Texas (Aug. 11, 2022) — The US Youth Soccer National League is excited to establish the Yellowstone Conference Qualifier, which will provide a direct pathway into the USYS Desert Conference or USYS Northwest Conference for top-performing teams from a unique geography of the country.
The Yellowstone Conference Qualifier, which will begin play in the 2022-23 season, will provide competition for boys and girls teams in the 12U-18U age groups. The league includes participants from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
“The Yellowstone Conference Qualifier and its connectivity to the National League Conferences will provide a clearly defined pathway for teams looking to earn their place into US Youth Soccer’s highest levels of league play,” said Simon Collins, USYS National League Commissioner. “At US Youth Soccer, we put the game first and allow the teams to determine their future by way of performance on the field. The addition of The Yellowstone Conference Qualifier to the overall pathway will allow teams an opportunity over time to progress to National League P.R.O. and the USYS National Championship Series.”
The Yellowstone Conference Qualifier will play an event-based schedule. Yellowstone teams will play alongside the Desert Conference, Nov. 18-20 in Phoenix, and also alongside the Northwest Conference Jan. 20-22 in Seattle. Yellowstone Conference Qualifier teams will also play a standalone event in December in Las Vegas.
Teams that finish in first place in the Yellowstone Conference Qualifier’s league season will earn direct qualification into either the Desert Conference or Northwest Conference, depending on the team’s geographical location. As two of the 13 USYS National League Conferences, the Desert and Northwest Conferences each provide teams with the opportunity to compete for advancement to the annual USYS Far West Regional Championships, as well as to earn qualification into the following season of National League P.R.O.
The Yellowstone Conference Qualifier will operate as the highest level of play in the Yellowstone Premier League, which was founded in 2020 with the idea to bring together developmentally appropriate modeled soccer clubs in the area. The Yellowstone Premier League prides itself on building strong lasting partnerships, which allow club leaders to provide valuable input to ensure the developmental needs of the teams and players are the focal point of the league. Over the last two seasonal years, the Yellowstone Premier League has proven its quality by way of supporting numerous teams to compete on a national level.
“We are excited to offer this region a fantastic opportunity joining the USYS National League pathway as a Conference Qualifier!” said Mayowa Owolabi, Yellowstone Premier League Founder. “With so many quality teams competing in our league, we always want to provide them with the best path for player development, and we believe joining forces with US Youth Soccer and its 2 million-plus soccer players annually, we will provide players, teams, and clubs the appropriate level of play, responsible travel, and a pathway to compete at the highest level.
“The USYS National League’s slogan of ‘Earn Your Place’ fits our mission well, and we have clubs who are prepared to show that they belong in this competition. The YPL is excited to hit the ground running and cannot wait for the first event of the 2022-2023 seasonal year to kick off.”
To learn more about the Yellowstone Premier League, click here.
For more information on the Desert Conference, click here, and for more information on the Northwest Conference, click here.