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MLS Next Pro

Founded	June 21, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-06-21)
First season	2022
Country	United States
Other club(s) from	Canada
Confederation	CONCACAF
Number of clubs	29
Level on pyramid	3
Domestic cup(s)	U.S. Open Cup
Current champions	North Texas SC (2024)
Current regular season title	North Texas SC (2024)
TV partners	MLS Season Pass YouTube
Website	mlsnextpro.com
Current: 2024 MLS Next Pro season

MLS Next Pro (MLSNP) is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and now comprises 27 reserve sides of MLS clubs and 2 independent clubs. MLS Next Pro is classified as part of the third tier of the United States soccer league system.

History

On June 21, 2021, Major League Soccer announced the creation of a new professional league which would begin play in 2022. MLS has applied to the United States Soccer Federation for the league to be sanctioned as a Division III professional league, the same level currently occupied by USL League One and the National Independent Soccer Association and one level below the USL Championship. MLS announced that Next Pro would start with at least 20 teams, many of them owned by Major League Soccer and development teams between their first-teams and their youth academies. All MLS clubs with reserve teams in the USL Championship or USL League One initially planned to move those sides to MLS Next Pro by 2023. D.C. United's formerly owned-and-operated reserve team was sold to independent buyers.

The inaugural match of MLS Next Pro was played on March 25, 2022, at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis. St. Louis City 2 defeated Rochester New York FC 2–0. Wan Kuzain scored the first ever goal in the 20th minute.

The league makes use of unique rules such as all regular season draws being decided by penalty shootouts and the addition of concussion substitutions. On July 6, 2022, new rules for the league were introduced in the middle of the season. This included an off-field treatment rule meant to curb gamesmanship and timewasting and a new rule for red card suspensions: The suspension a player gets for getting a red card or two yellow cards in the same game will be served by the player when next playing against the same opponent.

Competition format

The league runs from spring to fall with the season kicking off in March. Each team plays 28 regular-season games, followed by an 14-team playoff tournament. The league is divided into Eastern and Western Conferences.

Unlike Major League Soccer, MLS Next Pro does not feature a salary cap and player contracts are held by the teams, not the league. Team rosters can have up to 24 professional players (not including amateur academy players) with a maximum of seven international players. An MLS Next Pro club's active roster contains up to 35 players, all of whom are eligible for selection to each official match roster during the MLS Next Pro season.

Teams

• Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Eastern Conference - Southeast Division
• Western Conference - Frontier Division Western Conference - Pacific Division
• future teams

Future teams

Former teams

Timeline

League member Former member Future member Other leagues

Champions

Finals

Individual game highest attendance

Regular season

MLS Next Pro Cup Playoffs

See also

• MLS Next
• MLS Reserve League (2005–2014)

References

1. Straus, Brian (December 6, 2021). "MLS Next Pro Adds Another Element to U.S. Soccer's Ever-Evolving Lower Club Tier". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
2. ^ Bonagura, Kyle (June 21, 2021). "Major League Soccer to launch development league in 2022". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
3. Schneider, Jacob (March 24, 2022). "St Louis CITY2 hosts RNY FC in Inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Match". mlsnextpro.com. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
4. "Match Report: stlvsroc 03-25-2022". mlsnextpro.com. March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
5. Schneider, Jacob (March 25, 2022). "Historic Day in St. Louis as CITY2 beats RNY FC to begin the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign". mlsnextpro.com. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
6. "MLS NEXT PRO IMPLEMENTING TWO NEW COMPETITION RULES FOR SECOND HALF OF INAUGURAL SEASON". MLS Next Pro. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
7. "MLS NEXT Pro unveils 21 clubs for inaugural season starting March 2022". mlssoccer. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
8. Rueter, Jeff (January 14, 2022). "MLS Next Pro to have no salary cap, other key differences from MLS structure, sources say". The Athletic. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
9. "2022 MLS NEXT PRO Roster Guidelines". MLS Next Pro. January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
10. "Fun Within Reach". Toyota Park. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
11. "Historic Crew Stadium". www.ColumbusSports.org. Greater Columbus Sports Commission. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
12. "NKU Soccer Stadium". Northern Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
13. "Gillette Stadium Overview". revolutionsoccer.net. March 8, 2012. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
14. "BELSON STADIUM". www.RedStormSports.com. St. John's University. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
15. "MSU Soccer Park". www.MontclairAthletics.com. Montclar State University. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
16. "About Talen Energy Stadium". philadelphiaunion.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
17. "York Lions Stadium Conversion". www.YorkU.CA. York University. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
18. "Ball Park A-Z". High Point Rockers. 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
19. "Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews". www.MatthewsNC.gov. Town of Matthews, NC. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
20. Brazelton, Dave (May 19, 2023). "Huntsville businesses benefit from new Joe Davis Stadium". WAAY 31 ABC. Huntsville, AL. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
21. "Osceola County Stadium". www.OHPark.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
22. "Sabercats Stadium". www.HoustonSabercats.com. Houston Sabercats. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
23. "Rock Chalk Park". www.TravelKS.com. Kansas Tourism. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
24. "Swope Soccer Village". KCParks.org. Kansas City Parks & Recreation. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
25. "Stadium Facts". www.MNUFC.com. Minnesota United. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
26. "NSC Stadium".
27. Sullivan, T. R. (October 30, 2012). "Rangers Resume Fan-Focused Park Renovations". Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
28. "Titan Stadium". Retrieved October 8, 2018.
29. Timbers2, Portland. "Portland Timbers2". Portland Timbers2. Retrieved August 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
30. "Providence Park Stadium". www.Portland.gov. City of Portland. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
31. Meyer, Taran (April 25, 2018). "Zions Bank Stadium Provides Unique Soccer Experience". www.RSL.com. Real Salt Lake. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
32. "Facilities". Saint Mary's Athletics. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
33. "Outdoor Fields". www.StarFireSports.com. Star Fire Sports. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
34. "William Rolland Stadium". Retrieved March 16, 2024.
35. "Swangard Stadium – Home of your Whitecaps". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
36. "Seven MLS Affiliated Clubs To Join MLS Next Pro In 2023". mlsnextpro. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
37. "CONNECTICUT AWARDED MLS NEXT PRO EXPANSION TEAM". CTUnited.com. Connecticut United. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
38. "Cleveland's MLS NEXT Pro Team". Cleveland Pro Soccer. 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
39. Reuter, Jeff (March 10, 2023). "Jamie Vardy's U.S. club Rochester New York FC ceases operations". The Athletic. San Francisco, California. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
40. Tellitud, Jesus (October 8, 2022). "Columbus Crew 2 hoist MLS NEXT Pro Cup with 4-1 win over St Louis CITY2". MLS Next Pro. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
41. "Austin FC II Defeats Defending Champion Columbus Crew 2 To Win 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup". MLS Next Pro. October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
42. Snipes, Tyler (November 9, 2022). "New champs! North Texas SC win 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Cup". MLS Next Pro. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
43. Rolstad, Skylar (October 7, 2024). "Decision Day: The Best of MLS NEXT Pro's Wild Final Day!". mlsnextpro.com. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
44. "Decision Day: The Best of MLS NEXT Pro's Wild Final Day!". stlcitysc.com. June 23, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
45. "CITY2 locked up their playoff spot in front of a record-breaking 9,626-person crowd". stlcitysc.com. September 17, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
46. "Match Recap St Louis CITY2 Dominates in Front of Record-Breaking Crowd". stlcitysc.com. August 6, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
47. "A Letter to Quakes season ticket holders". thetownfc.com. April 16, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
48. "North Texas SC's Matt Denny Named 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Executive of the Year". mlsnextpro.com. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
49. Johnson, Bailey (October 8, 2022). "Columbus Crew 2 wins inaugural MLS Next Pro Cup with dominant 4-1 victory". dispatch.com. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
50. Timmermann, Tom (October 1, 2023). "City2's season ends with 2-0 loss to San Jose in MLS Next Pro playoffs". stltoday.com. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
51. Jones, Tim (November 2, 2024). "Playoff match report: Philadelphia Union II 4 -0 Columbus Crew 2". phillysoccerpage.net. Retrieved November 28, 2024.

External links

• Official website

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