Premier League of America
 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Founded | 2015 (as Great Lakes Premier League) |
| Divisions | 2 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup |
| Current champions | RWB Adria (1st title) |
| Most championships | RWB Adria (1 title) |
| Website | PLA website |
 2016 PLA season | |
The Premier League of America (PLA) is an American soccer league. The league currently consists of teams in cities in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The league is a part of the United States Adult Soccer Association and as of 2016, qualifies teams for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.[1][2] The league began its first season of play in 2015 as the Great Lakes Premier League.
History
Grand Rapids FC and AFC Ann Arbor both applied to become members of the National Premier Soccer League for the start of the 2015 season and they were both denied admission to the league.[3] Instead of waiting a year or finding another league, the teams decided to start a league of their own.[3] AFC Ann Arbor owner Jamey Amrine and Grand Rapids FC president Matt Roberts began discussions with other teams to gauge interest in forming a new league. Their work led to the formation of the Great Lakes Premier League.[2] The new league held its inaugural league meeting on January 17, 2015 in Grand Rapids, MI.
The two clubs were joined as charter members by Oakland United - now Oakland County FC - based in Rochester, Michigan, and two decades-old Croatian American clubs, Croatian Eagles SC of Milwaukee and RWB Adria of Chicago.[4]
Before the inaugural season began, Milwaukee Bavarians was announced as the first expansion franchise, to begin play in 2016.[5] A second expansion team, Toledo United FC, joined in July 2015.[6]
In September 2015, AFC Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids left the GLPL for the NPSL.[7][8] The following November, the Madison 56ers left the NPSL after eleven seasons to join the Great Lakes Premier League.[9]
The league announced on December 8, 2015 that they would be rebranding as Premier League of America, to more accurately reflect the potential growth of the league away from the Great Lakes area.
Two days later, Carpathia FC of Sterling Heights, Michigan in the Detroit suburbs was added as team number eight. The same month, Aris SC of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Aurora Borealis SC from Aurora, Illinois were added. Aris has since been removed from PLA announcments.[10]
A tenth team was added on January 11, 2016, as Minnesota United FC Reserves moved over from the NPSL. An eleventh team for 2016 was added on January 13, 2016, as Stegman's Soccer Club joined as Minneapolis City.[11]
Competition Format
In 2015 the league had a schedule that featured round robin play, where each team played every other team home and away. The league did not host a post-season tournament in 2015 and determined its champion based on the final season standings.
As part of the re-branding announcement for 2016, it was announced there would be a two-division geographical split, with an end-of-season championship playoff. The league will host a championship tournament at a neutral site with the top two teams from each division qualifying.[12]
Teams
Current Teams
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | Inaugural Season | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Division | |||||
| Aurora Borealis SC | Aurora, Illinois | Mooseheart School | 2016 | 2016 |  C.J. Brown |
| Carpathia FC | Sterling Heights, Michigan | Carpathia Club | 1952 | 2016 | Bruce Wilden |
| Oakland County FC | Rochester, Michigan | Stoney Creek High School | 20141 | 2015 | Waad Sana |
| Ole SC | Wyoming, Michigan | Lee Field | 2006 | 2016 |  David Wood |
| RWB Adria | River Grove, Illinois | Triton College | 1959 | 2015 |  Siniša Alebić |
| Toledo United FC | Maumee, Ohio | Lucas County Recreation Center | 2015 | 2016 | David Hebestreit |
| West Division | |||||
| Cedar Rapids Rampage United | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Clark Field | 2015 | 2016 |  Hewerton Moreira |
| Croatian Eagles SC | Franklin, Wisconsin | Croatian Park | 1922 | 2015 | Alex Toth |
| Madison 56ers | Madison, Wisconsin | Breese Stevens Field | 1956 | 2016 | Jim Launder |
| Milwaukee Bavarians | Glendale, Wisconsin | Heartland Value Fund Stadium | 1929 | 2016 | Pat Hodgins |
| Minnesota United FC Reserves | Woodbury, Minnesota | East Ridge High School | 2014 | 2016 | |
| Minneapolis City SC | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Les Barnard Field | 19772 | 2016 | Keith Kiecker |
- 1 as Oakland United
- 2 as FC Internationals
Former Teams
| Team | City | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 2015 | 2015 |
| Grand Rapids FC | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 2015 | 2015 |
Expansion
| Year | # of Teams | Teams Added | Teams Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 2016 | 12 | 9 | 2 |
Champions
| Season | Champions | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | RWB Adria | 7-0-1 (22 points) |
References
- ↑ Eliason, Kyle. "Minneapolis City Announce Stadium, Gain Eligibility for Open Cup". Northern Pitch. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- 1 2 Haapala, Kelly. "Local team owners announce plans to form new amateur soccer league in Michigan". ClickOnDetroit. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- 1 2 Hicks, Justin P. "NPSL denies Ann Arbor semi-pro soccer club's application; owners plan to establish new league". mlive.com. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ Anderson, Eric. "Croatian Eagles join new Great Lakes Premier League, remain in WSL". Wisconsin Soccer Central. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ Anderson, Eric. "Bavarians to join Great Lakes Premier League in 2016". Wisconsin Soccer Central. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ "Toledo United Joins Great Lakes Premier League". Toledo United FC. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ Wallner, Peter J. "Grand Rapids FC make change, joins National Premier Soccer League". mlive.com. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ Hicks, Justin P. "A year after being denied, AFC Ann Arbor joins National Premier Soccer League". mlive.com. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ Anderson, Eric. "Madison 56ers leave NPSL, join Great Lakes Premier League for 2016". Wisconsin Soccer Central. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ↑ "PLA Announces Divisions for 2016 Season". Retrieved 13 January 2016.
- ↑ "SSC Minneapolis City: Stegman's Next Step". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "PLA Announces Divisions For 2016 Season". Retrieved January 13, 2016.
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