SCYSA, CESA and SCUFC Launch South Carolina Premier Alliance

Walter Clapton • May 27, 2026

New statewide platform adds to the competitive pathway for South Carolina players

SCYSA, CESA and SCUFC Launch South Carolina Premier Alliance

 

Sanctioned by the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association (SCYSA), Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA) and South Carolina United FC (SCUFC) today announced the formation of the South Carolina Premier Alliance (SCPA), a groundbreaking collaboration designed to elevate the highest level of youth soccer competition within the state of South Carolina.


Launching for the 2026–2027 season, the South Carolina Premier Alliance will create a unified statewide platform for competitive boys’ and girls’ teams, providing a direct pathway into the National 1 League, which qualifies the top performing teams for the ECNL Conference League Playoffs.

The initiative brings together leading clubs, coaching standards, and player development resources under one structure focused on long-term athlete development, enhanced competition, and national-level post-season opportunities — all while allowing South Carolina players to remain and develop within their home state.


Key Highlights


  • Statewide boys’ and girls’ competition platform
  • Direct pathway to the National 1 League beginning in 2027–2028
  • Qualifying league into the National Championship Series (State Cup)
  • Collaboration between SCYSA, CESA, and SCUFC
  • Enhanced coaching education and player development standards
  •  Unified game-day and operational standards across participating clubs
  • Designed to strengthen the overall level of soccer throughout South Carolina


Building Better Environments in South Carolina


The South Carolina Premier Alliance is designed to bridge the gap between strong local competition and the national game by creating a structured, high-performance environment comparable to leading regional platforms across the Southeast.

“This partnership represents positive collaboration at the state level and aligns with the continued work being done within US Soccer’s Soccer Growth Strategy Department,” said Walter Clapton, Executive Director of SCYSA. “By aligning the strengths of SCYSA, CESA, and SCUFC, we are creating an environment that bridges the gap between local competition and the National 1 League, with the hope to support clubs future efforts of competing in National 1, while remaining connected to our local community.”

Andrew Hyslop, Co-Executive Director of CESA, added: “CESA and SCUFC have long been committed to developing players capable of competing at the highest levels. The South Carolina Premier Alliance creates the most competitive and collaborative environment the state has ever seen.”

Rob Strickland, Executive Director of South Carolina United FC, said the alliance represents a major step forward for the state’s soccer ecosystem.

“We are proud to help build a platform that serves players, clubs, coaches, and families across South Carolina. Together, we are establishing a new standard for youth soccer in our state — one focused on player development, professionalism, and meaningful national opportunities.”


Raising the Standard Across the State


In addition to competition, the South Carolina Premier Alliance will focus on:

  • coach education initiatives
  • operational best practices
  • enhanced communication standards
  • shared development resources
  • consistent player experience standards across participating clubs

League organizers believe the collaboration model will strengthen the overall soccer landscape in South Carolina and provide a clearer pathway for aspiring players seeking high-level competition.


About the South Carolina Premier Alliance


The South Carolina Premier Alliance is South Carolina’s premier youth soccer competition platform, formed through a collaboration between SCYSA, CESA, and SCUFC. The alliance is designed to provide top-level in-state competition, enhanced player development opportunities, and a pathway into national competition through the National 1 League structure beginning in the 2027–2028 season.

"NewComp" League overview and updates

By Elizabeth Heard • March 12, 2026
For information on the 2026-27 season "NewComp" League, please review this presentation .

South Carolina Youth Soccer holds 2026 Annual General Meeting

By Elizabeth Heard • February 4, 2026
COLUMBIA, S.C. (February 4, 2026) – South Carolina Youth Soccer hosted its Annual General Meeting virtually last week to conduct Board of Directors elections, review the previous year and discuss new business. Immediately following the meeting's call to order, Board of Directors elections were held. The results of those elections are as follows: President: Kevin Kollegger - Elected to 2-year term Secretary: PJ Campanaro - Elected to 2-year term Rules and Compliance Chair: Adam Kernen - Appointed to 2-year term Midstate District Representative: Maggie Kreitzer - Appointed to 2-year term (appointed by the BOD after the conclusion of the AGM) At the conclusion of elections, the meeting was then moved to the Treasurer and Executive Director to provide financial and overall organization reports. The findings of the Female Task Force were an important topic of conversation. The group was tasked with identifying core reasons female participation is 50% less than male, and provide the State Association 3-5 recommendations based on their findings to improve current programs or create new programs. In line with the State Association’s focus on improvement of the game in all areas, the State Referee Committee provided an update on the organization's business and discussed a creation of a mentor and training program for referees in the state. To conclude the meeting, discussion items related to the year ahead were highlighted. These items included the following: The formal approval of the new registration band spanning from August 1 - July 31, beginning with the 2026-27 registration year. This registration band was first announced by US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer in September 2025. Updates on the Coach Education department, including the volume of courses to be hosted in 2026 and the pricing of those courses. The adjustment of recruiting rules and how members can collaborate to better reflect the present-day environment we are in. South Carolina Youth Soccer is looking forward to another great year of growth and success ahead!

2025 South Carolina State Cup awards eight titles, qualifies teams to USYS National Championships

By Elizabeth Heard • December 22, 2025
FLORENCE, South Carolina (December 22, 2025) – The annual South Carolina State Cup concluded Sunday afternoon after a weekend of competition at Florence Soccer Complex in Florence, South Carolina. Eight teams earned South Carolina State Cup titles. A total of 62 teams representing 17 clubs participated in the cup. The event served as the culmination of the fall season for teams in the U15 through U18/19 age groups. Champions of the event qualified for the USYS National Championships. The boys event will take place July 13-23, 2026 in Salt Lake City & Provo, Utah and the girls event will take place July 13-23, 2026 in Murfreesboro & Smyrna, Tennessee.

2025 South Carolina Presidents Cup concludes, qualifies teams to Southeast Presidents Cup

By Elizabeth Heard • December 22, 2025
FLORENCE, South Carolina (December 22, 2025) – The annual South Carolina Presidents Cup concluded Sunday afternoon after a weekend of competition at Florence Soccer Complex in Florence, South Carolina. Eight teams earned South Carolina Presidents Cup titles. A total of 62 teams representing 27 clubs participated in the cup. The event served as the culmination of the fall season for teams in the U15 through U18/19 age groups. Champions of the event qualified for the Southeast Presidents Cup taking place June 19-22, 2026 in Auburndale, Florida.

2025 Publix Open Cup crowns fall champions, caps season for U15-U18/19 teams

By Elizabeth Heard • December 8, 2025
LEXINGTON, South Carolina (December 8, 2025) – The annual Publix Open Cup concluded Sunday afternoon after a weekend of competition at Gibson Road Soccer Complex in Lexington, South Carolina. Fourteen teams earned Publix Open Cup titles. A total of 62 teams representing 26 clubs participated in the cup. The event served as the culmination of the fall season for teams in the U15 through U18/19 age groups. Four clubs won more than one title: Aiken FC (BU15 McKennie and BU16 Turner), Lexington Soccer Academy (BU17 Turner and GU19 Coffey), South Carolina United (GU15 Girma and BU16 McKennie) and United FC Furman (BU15 Pulisic and BU19 Turner).

2025 Publix Fall Festival draws nearly 900 participants from across the state

By Elizabeth Heard • November 14, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 14, 2025) – South Carolina Youth Soccer hosted its annual Fall Festival last weekend at Gibson Road Soccer Complex in Lexington, SC. The event saw 71 teams take the field for a day of competition and fun. Teams were split into five divisions with more than 120 games taking place throughout the day. Players and families were gifted items from our sponsors including Prime water bottles, Publix mini balls and event medals.

South Carolina Youth Soccer and BISA host first ever D Course delivered in Spanish

By Elizabeth Heard • November 10, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 10, 2025) – South Carolina Youth Soccer is proud to be hosting the first-ever Spanish language D Course in the state of South Carolina, in collaboration with Bilu International Soccer Academy . The Spanish language course kicked off in October and will run through early December, bringing together coaches from South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Coaches on the course are following the same format of English language courses and will earn the same licensing from U.S. Soccer. “Leading this course in Spanish means a great deal,” said Mario Garcia Carvajal, U.S. Soccer Coach Educator. “It gives coaches the chance to learn and express themselves in the language they use to think, feel, and communicate. This group brings energy, curiosity, and pride into every session. When we honor who coaches are and where they come from, we strengthen our coaching communities.”

South Carolina Youth Soccer welcomes Elizabeth Heard to the Membership Services team

By Walter Clapton • November 4, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 4, 2025) – South Carolina Youth Soccer is excited to announce the hiring of Elizabeth Heard to our Membership Services team. In her new role, Heard will focus on improving and creating a consistent image across South Carolina Youth Soccer programming, providing member clubs with clearer assets and tools to engage with their own members as they seek to grow the sport in their regions. She will also play a critical role in the management, execution and overall strategy of our coaching education program, which recently expanded to include higher-level licensing such as the B Course, CTL-1 Course, as well as courses delivered in Spanish. Expect to see her on upcoming courses across the state. Heard joins South Carolina Youth Soccer from US Club Soccer, where she was the Senior Coordinator of Marketing & Communications. During her time at US Club Soccer, she was responsible for maintaining the organization’s online presence across nine channels and contributed to the development and execution of specific communications and marketing plans for the more than 60 leagues managed by US Club Soccer. In addition to her role with South Carolina Youth Soccer, Heard serves as the Marketing Director & Club Registrar for South Carolina Surf Soccer Club in Charleston, S.C. In these roles, she manages all internal and external marketing and communications efforts for the club, and the registration of the club’s over 800 members. She also coaches for the club. Heard graduated from the University of Georgia in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a minor in Sport Management. She also received a certificate in Sports Media upon graduation. She is a lifelong footballer who is excited to continue helping South Carolina Youth Soccer improve and grow the game in the state! South Carolina has seen 23% in participation growth since 2022, and we are excited to expand our team as we strive to provide a better experience in all programming for clubs, coaches, and players.