FRISCO, Texas (Sept. 23, 2025) – US Youth Soccer (USYS), the largest youth sport organization in the country, is proud to announce a landmark format change to its National Championships aimed at creating the best youth sports experience in America. Beginning with the current season, State Cup champions from all 54 USYS State Associations will advance directly to the National Championships, eliminating the traditional Regional Championship round. New York Life will remain the presenting sponsor for the event.
The exciting evolution of the “crown jewel” of USYS competition is designed to:
- Enhance the value and visibility of State Cups as the core qualifying events.
- Streamline the championship pathway to reduce travel demands and ease the overall burden on families.
- Celebrate tradition while embracing progress, to deliver a more focused, player-centered experience at the national level.
Why This Matters:
- Direct Advancement: Each State Cup champion along with group winners from The National League Winter Events earn a place at Nationals, ensuring representation and increased relevance for all 54 member associations.
- Reduced Barriers: Families and clubs benefit from less travel and time commitment with the elimination of the regional competition layer.
- Elevated Experience: The National Championships will become a true festival of champions, celebrating the top team from every state on one stage.
US Youth Soccer CEO Tom Condone stated, “This bold new format reimagines the National Championships, uniting champions from every state and setting a new standard for youth soccer experiences across the country.” With Director of Events and Operations Jason Elliott adding, “This new format for our National Championships is a milestone moment for US Youth Soccer. The structure expands opportunities for players nationwide, while strengthening the state-level competitions that lead into Nationals. By elevating every step of the pathway, we’re ensuring more meaningful experiences for players and families, and creating a stage where the best in youth soccer can shine.”
This format change was made following extensive feedback from member associations, clubs, coaches, and families, and reflects USYS’s strategic vision to enhance our competition structure while providing the most meaningful and memorable national stage for young athletes. More details about the updated National Championships including qualification timelines, hosting information, and event enhancements, will be released in the coming weeks.
To accompany the new format, a visionary new brand identity was developed to represent the competition. The three vertical elements are not only meant to evoke the shape of the trophy, acknowledging the US Youth Soccer National Championships as the premier event in youth sports, but also symbolize the coming together of every state association along with The National League to one point of action – the ball. Utilizing the same design as the ball in the USYS logo, only part of it is visible as it is in motion – approaching the plane of the goal. It is not yet fully across the line, signifying the potential to score or be defended…a dramatic representation of the tension foundational to our love of soccer. The entire logo is unbounded by a containing shape like a shield or crest, highlighting that the event is bigger than something that can be contained by traditional borders and structures. The reimagined US Youth Soccer Championships are a bold new vision of how our entire soccer landscape can come together, this rebranding of our championship logo communicates the passion, youthful energy, and forward-thinking of USYS and our state associations.
About US Youth Soccer
US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sports organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers 2.68 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe, and healthy environment at every level of the game.
New USYS National Championships Pathway
