Gulf Coast Premier League

Last updated

Gulf Coast Premier League
GCPL Circle Badge.png
Founded2014
CountryUnited States
Confederation CONCACAF
Number of clubs20 Clubs, with some clubs fielding teams in multiple leagues.
Domestic cup(s) Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Current championsAlabama FC South (1)
(2024)
Most championships Motagua New Orleans (3)
Website gcplsoccer.com
Current: 2024 GCPL season

The Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) is a United States Adult Soccer Association affiliated Amateur Elite League that includes teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The regular season of the GCPL runs May through July. On August 13, 2020, it was announced that the GCPL would be the first "amateur league affiliation" of the National Independent Soccer Association [1] after Gaffa FC and Louisiana Krewe FC competed in the NISA 2020 Independent Cup.

Contents

Louisiana Premier League

The Louisiana Premier League was formed in 2014 by the Louisiana Soccer Association's Adult Committee members, Jonathan Rednour and Chad Vidrine, with the assistance of Pool Boys FC founder, Jeremy Poklemba. The recent success of a similar formatted competition, [2] administered by the LSA, in the spring of 2014 and the emergence of newly formed clubs, Pool Boys FC and Cajun Soccer Club, along with the interest from Motagua New Orleans from the ISLANO league, offered an opportunity to create a statewide elite amateur league. Motagua New Orleans won the inaugural season, defeating Cajun Soccer Club in the finals, 4–2.

On March 8, 2016, the Louisiana Premier League was granted Elite Amateur League status by the United States Adult Soccer Association. [3]

Gulf Coast Premier League

On August 1, 2016, the Louisiana Premier League, sanctioned and operated by the Louisiana Soccer Association, folded to make way for the newly formed Gulf Coast Premier League. The league formed as a non-profit organization expanding itself to clubs outside Louisiana along the gulf coast. [4]

In January 2017 the league announced three expansion teams, expanding the league footprint into Alabama and Florida. [5] Central Texas Lobos FC were also announced as a future member in June 2017.

The Gulf Coast Premier League organization currently operates three separate leagues - Premier League, League Two, and the Women's League. Each league is split into conferences for schedule balance, and to manage travel expenses.

Starting with the 2025 season, GCPL will play as conferences in affiliated leagues. The men's Premier division will play in the League for Clubs, and the women's division will play in the WPSL. Second division teams will compete separately, under the GCPL banner.

Developmental League

A 4-team developmental league called the Gulf Coast Development League (GCDL) was announced and began play in May 2019.

2020 Fall Tournament Showcase

The League announced it would cancel its 2020 regular season due to the coronavirus epidemic but left open the possibility of a fall competition. [6] In October 2020 the League announced the Fall Tournament Showcase featuring five teams: Pool Boys FC, Louisiana Krewe FC, Crescent City FC, Mobile United FC and new addition 14th Ward FC. [7]

Great Plains Premier League

In 2019, the GCPL announced the creation of the Great Plains Premier League (GPPL), an expansion conference/sister league with teams to be based in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas or Missouri. The GPPL was set to begin play in 2020 however the COVID-19 pandemic halted plans. Nebraska Bugeaters FC, was their only announced club. [8] [9]

Teams

ClubCityStadiumFoundedInaugural season
AFC Mobile - PremierMobile, AlabamaDotson Field20172017 (returned 2024)
ASG-Lions - League TwoTallahassee, Florida2024
BRSC Capitals - Premier, Women's Baton Rouge, Louisiana Olympia Stadium20162017
Cajun Rush - Women'sLafayette, LouisianaLUS Fiber Stadium20142014
Central Louisiana FC (known as Alexandria Pool Boys FC until 2023) - Premier, League Two Alexandria, Louisiana Wildcat Field at Louisiana Christian University 20132014
Florida Roots - Premier, League Two, Women's Panama City, Florida Fort Walton Beach High School20202023
Gaffa FC - Premier Jackson, Mississippi Freedom Ridge Park20162017
Gulf Coast United - Premier, Women's Gulfport, Mississippi Herbert Wilson Stadium 20032021
Hattiesburg FC - Women'sHattiesburg, Mississippi20032019
Louisiana Krewe II - Premier Lafayette, Louisiana LUS Fiber Field20132014
Mississippi Blues SC - League Two, Women'sClinton, MississippiFreedom Ridge Park Stadium2018
Northtown Bravos - League TwoBossier City, Louisiana20232024
Pensacola Bay United - Premier Pensacola, Florida Ashton Brosnaham Stadium 20222023
Pensacola FC - (U19) League Two, Women's Pensacola, Florida Ashton Brosnaham Stadium 20172017
Shreveport United - Premier, Women's Shreveport, Louisiana Cargill Park20162018
Southern States FC II - Premier Hattiesburg, Mississippi The Oakes Training Center20152023
Sowegans SC - Premier Albany, Georgia Lee County Track and Soccer Complex20222023
Tallahassee SC - PremierTallahassee, FLGene Cox Stadium20192019, 2025
Union 10 FC - Premier, Women's Daphne, Alabama Al Trione Complex20222023
Valdosta FC - PremierValdosta, GeorgiaNorth Lowndes Park20242025

Former Teams

Seasons

SeasonWinnerRunner-upHighest goalscorer
2014–15 Motagua New Orleans Cajun Soccer ClubSteven Morris (Motagua New Orleans)12
2015–16 Motagua New Orleans Boca Knights FCJoel Amos (Lake City Gamblers)

Leonardo Ferriera de Barros (Motagua New Orleans)

6
2016–17 Motagua New Orleans Shreveport Rafters FC BReece Wilson (Motagua New Orleans)18
2017 Gaffa FC Cajun Soccer ClubVasbert Ledger (Cajun Soccer Club)9
2018 Port City FC Cajun Soccer ClubQuesi Weston (BOCA FC)16
2019 FC New Orleans Northshore UnitedRoger Llergo (FC New Orleans)

Adrian Olivares Rodriguez (Louisiana Krewe)
Oscar Saavedra (Central Texas Lobos FC)

9
2020Season not disputed due to Covid-19
2021 Louisiana Krewe FC Gulf Coast Rangers Quesi Weston (Louisiana Krewe)11
2022 Gaffa FC Shreveport United
2023 Southern States SC II Central Texas Lobos FC
2024Alabama FC South Gaffa FC Matthew Reed (Southern States)

Hector Moreno (Sowegans)

11

References

  1. ↑ "NISA ANNOUNCES FIRST AMATEUR AFFILIATION WITH GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE (GCPL)". NISA Homepage. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  2. ↑ "2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Cajun SC to face CD Motagua in Louisiana final". TheCup.us. April 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Gulf Coast Premier League". United States Adult Soccer Association. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ "About – Gulf Coast Premier League". Gulf Coast Premier League. August 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Gulf Coast Premier League announces summer season; adds 3 new clubs". Gulf Coast Premier League. January 3, 2017.
  6. ↑ "GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE CANCELS 2020 SEASON; PLANS FOR A FALL SEASON BEING DISCUSSED". Gulf Coast Premier League. May 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ "GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES FALL TOURNAMENT SHOWCASE". Gulf Coast Premier League. October 14, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Bugeaters FC joins the Gulf Coast Premier League". February 18, 2019.
  9. ↑ https://www.plainsleague.com/s/GPPL-Info-11-18.pdf%5B‍%5D [ bare URL PDF ]
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