TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League (USL) confirmed on Tuesday the founding members of the USL Academy League’s Northeast Division. The inaugural season of Academy League play is due to kick off in spring 2021 and will provide clubs in all three of the USL’s senior divisions with elite youth development and competition platform.

The structure of the USL Academy League provides USL clubs a progressive model to develop local players for their Senior Team, at a lessened cost of traditional pre-professional academies.  Doing so will also enable far more clubs and communities to participate, allowing for the regional division format which limits travel demand to teams and families.

The 13 clubs set to compete in the Northeast Division of the inaugural USL Academy League  are as follows:

• AC Connecticut: Newtown, CT (USL League Two)

• Black Rock FC: Lake Placid, NY (USL League Two)

• Boston Bolts: Boston, MA (USL League Two)

• Cedar Stars Academy: South Hackensack, NJ (USL League Two)

• FA Euro New York: New York, NY (USL League Two)

• Hartford Athletic: Hartford, CT (USL Championship)

• Ironbound SC: Newark, NJ (Part of the New York Red Bulls’ player pathway)

• Long Island Rough Riders: Long Island, NY (USL League Two)

• Morris Elite: Madison, NJ (USL League Two)

• Queensboro FC: New York, NY (USL Championship)

• Seacoast United: Portsmouth, NH (USL League Two)

• Westchester Flames: Westchester, NY (USL League Two)

• Western Mass Pioneers: Ludlow, MA (USL League Two)

For more information on the USL Academy League, visit usl-academy.com/academy league.