2026 Inaugural Season

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2026 Inaugural Season •

Football

upstate

is coming to

Pushing Grassroots Soccer further than ever before in the Capital Region.

2026 Schedule

2026 Inaugural Season

•

2026 Inaugural Season •

Upstate premier league

The Upstate Premier League (UPL) is an Amateur Soccer league based in the Capital Region and Upstate, NY.

While the rest of country is taking big steps to grow the Grassroots game, we believe places in and around Albany have fallen behind.

Join the UPL for its Inaugural Season in May 2026.

  • The Upstate Premier League’s mission is to provide competitive league opportunities for community-based, organized clubs to advance the standard of amateur soccer in Upstate, New York.

  • To create a community of local soccer clubs that build competition, entertainment, and progression toward a new amateur soccer landscape.

  • To join other grassroots leagues across the country, which are re-shaping the future of U.S. soccer.

    Upstate, NY needs a direction. We believe the UPL can point the way.

Capital region based

For the 2026 Inaugural Season, the UPL will be hosting teams within the 4 surrounding counties of New York States Capital.

Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady.

This radius will limit the distance for clubs away matches to less than a 1 hour drive, in the most extreme cases.

Creating a more organized soccer pyramid in the U.S. starts at the grassroots level. We believe the UPL could be a driving force in a New York State Wide Pro/Rel System.

UPL CLUBS

Active Clubs participating in the 2026 UPL Inaugural Season

Get involved

Contact

A league for Clubs

The UPL is seeking clubs that are:

Community based

The UPL is seeking clubs that represent their local communities, and play for more than just off-season training. Regardless of what each player plays for, the club’s goal is to grow and support its community.

sustainable

The UPL is for clubs, not just “men’s teams.” Clubs that secure sponsorship and build support will grow and thrive. Local backing favors clubs with a clear purpose, that is bigger than themselves.

growth oriented

Clubs joining the UPL should believe in better Grassroots Football in Upstate, NY. Being apart of the league serves a greater purpose than just the goals of your club. It’s time to join the grassroots movement happening across the U.S.

Understand the UPL

  • The league format for the 2026 Inaugural Season will be determined by the final number of teams.

    Assuming we reach our goal of 6 teams, here’s how it would look:

    • Each team plays 10 regular-season games (5 home and 5 away)

    • Games are full 90-minutes plus stoppage time under FIFA rules.

    • 3 Referee System (Home team is responsible for payment)

    • Teams are awarded 3-points for a win, 1-point for a draw, and 0 for a loss.

    • At the end of the regular season, each team’s place in the table will determine their semi-final playoff seeding (1v4, 2v3)

    • The 5th and 6th-place teams will be eliminated from the playoffs.

    • The winners of the semi-final compete in the UPL final for the league title.

  • The UPL is a summer-based league. The projected league schedule for 2026 would run from mid-May to Early August.

    This schedule is designed to align with college soccer schedules. Allowing for clubs to have their college players available during the season.

  • That is up to you! The UPL requires all teams to manage their own home games (~5 games). This includes:

    • Field Rental (Insured)

    • Field preparation

      • Scoreboard management

      • Corner flags

      • Visible lines

    • 3 Referees (Home team pays full referee fee)

    This means that when teams are playing away, their only job for that match is to be on-time and prepared to play.

  • The UPL is an Adult league. So players can be 18 years or older, as long as they’re properly registered.

    Rosters are usually 18–30, but:

    • High-level 18-year-olds sometimes play

    • Active 30+ players would fit in as well.

    The UPL is well-designed for

    • College players in the offseason

    • Post-college players looking to compete

    • Young players looking to grow their game

Learn more

Still confused? Feel free to contact us with any questions!

Contact

FREe club Branding

The UPL is dedicated to helping every member club grow and succeed. To support that mission, each club is eligible for a FREE branding or rebranding package from Jarron Frangie of Bear Digital.

  • Jarron brings 6+ years of experience designing professional, modern sports and soccer brands and concepts, tailored to the UPL’s identity.

  • The aim is to make starting and running a grassroots club more accessible by giving teams a strong, professional visual identity—an essential foundation for long-term sustainability and community support.

Why it matters

  • Clubs with clean, city- or community-focused branding generate more excitement, attract supporters, and strengthen local ties.

Branding package includes

  • Initial branding meeting to define a club identity rooted in its city/community.

  • Multiple design rounds, refining the concept toward a final logo.

  • Delivery of all logo files at full resolution, including original SVGs.

  • Full rights and ownership of the completed brand.