NPSL In Minnesota

As reported on IMS back in November, the Twin Cities will be home to two teams in the National Premier Soccer League’s 2010 season. Minnesota Kings F.C. is a new expansion team and will compete against teams from Wisconsin, Illinois and the St. Paul Twinstars, who will be in their 6th season, in the Midwest conference.

Originally called the Men’s Premier League, the league was formed in 2002 and will enter its 8^th year this summer. The very first NPSL season featured just six teams all from the western area of the States. For the 2010 season, over 30 teams will be competing in five divisions around the country.

The NPSL is considered to be part of the fourth tier of American soccer. It is thought to be on par with the PDL, but it is currently a much smaller league and has not been around as long. These facts have given the NPSL a reputation of something similar to a pick-up league. However, NPSL Director of Public Relations, Ryan Knapp believes that over the years the league has improved its self image, “We’re more than just a Sunday League and we’re starting to shed that image.” Teams in the NPSL roster players of all playing experience, but look to become a final step after players outgrow youth leagues and want to continue their soccer career while still keeping their college eligibility. Players have also made it to the MLS from NPSL teams.

The goal of the NPSL is to bring high level soccer through league expansion to areas of the country that can’t meet the requirements for an MLS or a USL/NASL team. After its inaugural season the league added more teams and then a Midwest division in 2005. This new division added 8 teams to the league including two teams from Minnesota: the Minnesota Blast and the St. Paul Twinstars. Two years later teams from the Northeast were added to the league and in 2008 the NPSL stretched down to the Southeast.

The continuous expansion of the league has fueled the success of the league. “As we’ve expanded, we’ve gotten stronger regions and stronger teams playing in those regions,” said Knapp who is also an owner of the NPSL team FC Buffalo. In the past 7 years, the NPSL added a total of 53 teams, but also lost 27, some of which only lasted for a season. The nearly constant departure of teams from the league in the off-season is an issue which the NPSL has been working on and hopes to limit with the use of a screening process for new teams.

In order for a team to be named as an expansion the league evaluates several factors. Most importantly is the financial situation of the team. Also taken into account is the cities soccer community, population of the applying team’s city, and the relative distance from other NPSL teams in the surrounding area. In the case of the Minnesota Kings, there was already a NPSL team in the immediate area, but the population of the Twin Cities was seen by the league as more than adequate enough to support two teams in such a close proximity. “We really wanted to cement ourselves in the Midwest,” said Knapp, “there are strong teams in that area.”

In addition to new teams looking to join the NPSL, the league is also actively looking to expand further and goes out to find possible cities for teams by searching for areas that are known for soccer, have a large youth league and are near current teams and other possible expansion cities. Florida is currently an area of interest. Teams have also come from other leagues, like the PDL. Also with the end of the MLS reserve league the NPSL hopes to add teams affiliated with current and expansion MLS clubs in the future.

The new NPSL season is set to start in May and has already made plans for the NPSL Final Four at the end of the season. The Final Four will take place late July in Madison, Alabama with the championship game on August 1^st. The St. Paul Twinstars have been to the Final Four twice. Now with two teams in the NPSL Minnesota should expect to continue to be well represented in the league and perhaps give the state a championship.