HIGH POINT (Friday, February 28, 2025) – CCFC Youth and CCFC Academy are together proud to announce the club’s acceptance into MLS NEXT’s brand-new competition tier, a major milestone that continues CCFC’s commitment to providing a top-tier developmental platform for elite youth male soccer players in the Carolina Core.
This new competition level, which will hit the pitch in Fall 2025, will be the highest in the club outside of CCFC Academy’s fully-funded U13, U14, and U15 teams, which participate in MLS NEXT, the most elite platform for youth player development in North America. The new platform, which will include age groups 13u, 14u, 15u, 16u, 17u, and 19u, ensures that talented youth male players who are not in-age for CCFC Academy’s scholarshipped teams still have access to a premier platform for competition and development. With this expansion, CCFC continues to differentiate itself as a leader in creating pathways for players at all levels, reaffirming its core value of Growth and Innovation, to provide and continually seek to expand the opportunities, experiences and pathways for our players, ensuring offerings from recreational beginnings to elite opportunities.
“This is a monumental step for our club, our players, and the entire Carolina Core soccer community,” said David Upchurch, Executive Director of CCFC Youth and Academy Director of CCFC Academy. “Acceptance into MLS NEXT’s new competition tier is a direct reflection of our club’s commitment to excellence and our relentless drive to provide the best possible environment for elite youth development. Now, more than ever, CCFC is ensuring that every talented player in our region has a clear pathway to reach the highest levels of the game."
MLS NEXT today announced the participating teams in the new tier of competition, which was previously unveiled in January. The new tier will feature more than 1,200 teams from more than 220 clubs across regional divisions during the regular season. Regular season play will begin in September 2025, which will be accompanied by regional tournaments and an opportunity to attend MLS NEXT national events, as well as coaching development and education programs.
The regional tournaments will serve as qualifying for a championship event at the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs later in 2026. These events will be marquee talent identification opportunities for college, professional, and national team scouts to evaluate players. Players competing in the new tier will also be eligible to play high school soccer.
CCFC’s inclusion marks another significant step in the club’s evolution, ensuring that young players in the Carolina Core have every opportunity to develop, compete, and thrive on a national stage.
As CCFC Youth and CCFC Academy continue to grow, this latest achievement underscores the club’s unwavering dedication to excellence, innovation, community and development.
