Southern Premier Soccer League
Encyclopedia
The Southern Premier Soccer League (SPSL) is an amateur soccer league featuring teams from Texas
and Oklahoma
and recognized by the United States Soccer Federation
and United States Adult Soccer Association. The league comprises seven teams.
The Southern Premier Soccer League was founded in September 2010 in part of the National Premier Soccer League
's inability to get a winter season started as a minimum of four teams were required to start a division (South Central). The first season
took place with 6 teams (2 of which failed to finish the season), with each team playing 20 games in the regular season with the season ending on March 27, 2011. The 2011 Spring-Summer season will follow afterwards. Starting with the second year, seasons will run from September until June, with each team playing 36-40 games in the regular season.
, Regals FC
, and Corpus Christi Fuel
, joined with Texas Lonestrikers, Tulsa Lobos FC, and Houston-based Club América Academy began play later that year for the 2010-11 SPSL Winter Season. Also, joining the league for the 2011 Spring-Summer Season is RGV Ocelots FC (formerly Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC of the USL Premier Development League
(PDL)).
Since the NPSL currently runs from April until July, the SPSL fills the marketplace by providing players and teams with the chance to compete together and gain national exposure on a year-round basis by having games from October to July. The league will play a spring-summer schedule in 2011 before the first full natural season, schedule begins in October 2011 and ending in April or May.
The league is looking into expanding into other areas of the southeastern United States
in the near future.
Before the 2010-2011 Winter Season started, SPSL added its first two expansion teams: the RGV Ocelots FC (last playing in the USL Premier Development League
in 2010 as Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC) and the Houston Hurricane (last playing in the North American Soccer League
in 1980 of the same name). The RGV Ocelots FC will begin play in the 2011 Spring-Summer season. Modern day Houston Hurricane will begin the 2011-12 SPSL Season.
For the 2010-11 Winter Season, teams are as follows:
or the Texas Lonestrikers. Three exceptions to this were Galveston Pirate SC, Regals FC, and Tulsa Lobos FC, adopting naming conventions usually seen in European clubs. However, one new team RGV Ocelots FC continued this trend. One club has their name from their origins in defunct American professional soccer leagues like the NASL
, the 1978-80 Houston Hurricane
.
There are only two SPSL clubs whose name does not specify a city, state, or region. Club América Academy is named for the Mexican team Club de Fútbol América
, who are often known by their nickname "Águilas," which translates to "Eagles". Regals FC elected not to utilize a geographical reference as well.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and recognized by the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
and United States Adult Soccer Association. The league comprises seven teams.
The Southern Premier Soccer League was founded in September 2010 in part of the National Premier Soccer League
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...
's inability to get a winter season started as a minimum of four teams were required to start a division (South Central). The first season
2010-11 SPSL Winter Season
The 2010-11 Southern Premier Soccer League Winter Season is the inaugural season of the Soccer League. The season began on October 2, 2010 and will conclude in early April.-Teams:A total of six teams will contest the season.-Current Teams:...
took place with 6 teams (2 of which failed to finish the season), with each team playing 20 games in the regular season with the season ending on March 27, 2011. The 2011 Spring-Summer season will follow afterwards. Starting with the second year, seasons will run from September until June, with each team playing 36-40 games in the regular season.
Competition format
The 2010-11 regular season runs from October 2 through March 26. The league will add additional teams for the 2011 Summer Cup. 2010-2011 will be the only year with two partial seasons. This was established to allow the original clubs to go forward with the winter schedule and to allow the new clubs to compete in the 2nd half of the schedule.Beginnings
In 2010, National Premier Soccer League's original three South Central teams, Galveston Pirate SCGalveston Pirate SC
Galveston Pirate SC is a semi professional American soccer team based in Galveston, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team currently play in the Houston Football Association , a Houston area Men's amateur soccer league affiliated with the Texas State Soccer Association-South and the...
, Regals FC
Regals FC
Regals FC is an American soccer team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team is a founding member of the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association and affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation.The team...
, and Corpus Christi Fuel
Corpus Christi Fuel
Corpus Christi Fuel is an American amateur soccer team based in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team began play in the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by US Club Soccer and affiliated with the US Soccer Federation in the winter of 2010.The team's...
, joined with Texas Lonestrikers, Tulsa Lobos FC, and Houston-based Club América Academy began play later that year for the 2010-11 SPSL Winter Season. Also, joining the league for the 2011 Spring-Summer Season is RGV Ocelots FC (formerly Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC of the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
(PDL)).
Since the NPSL currently runs from April until July, the SPSL fills the marketplace by providing players and teams with the chance to compete together and gain national exposure on a year-round basis by having games from October to July. The league will play a spring-summer schedule in 2011 before the first full natural season, schedule begins in October 2011 and ending in April or May.
The league is looking into expanding into other areas of the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
in the near future.
Teams
There are seven SPSL teams spanning Texas and Oklahoma. More teams are expected for the 2011-2012 SPSL Season.Before the 2010-2011 Winter Season started, SPSL added its first two expansion teams: the RGV Ocelots FC (last playing in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
in 2010 as Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC) and the Houston Hurricane (last playing in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
in 1980 of the same name). The RGV Ocelots FC will begin play in the 2011 Spring-Summer season. Modern day Houston Hurricane will begin the 2011-12 SPSL Season.
For the 2010-11 Winter Season, teams are as follows:
| Team | Location | Stadium | Founded | Joined | Color | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Franchises | ||||||
| Club América Academy Club América Academy Club América Academy is an American soccer team. Founded in 2010, the team will begin play in the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by US Club Soccer and affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, in the winter of 2010.... |
Houston Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... , TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
USA Soccer Park | 2010 | Yellow and blue | Thaigo Costa Reis | |
| Corpus Christi Fuel Corpus Christi Fuel Corpus Christi Fuel is an American amateur soccer team based in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team began play in the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by US Club Soccer and affiliated with the US Soccer Federation in the winter of 2010.The team's... |
Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the... , TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
Fairgrounds Field Fairgrounds Field Fairgrounds Field is a ballpark located in Robstown, TX. It is the home stadium of the Coastal Bend Thunder of the United League Baseball and the Corpus Christi Fuel of the Southern Premier Soccer League and the former home of the Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs of the Continental Baseball League and... |
2010 | 2010 | Red, gray, and black | Patrick Escueda |
| Regals FC Regals FC Regals FC is an American soccer team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team is a founding member of the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association and affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation.The team... |
Houston Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... , TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
Maya Park | 2009 | 2010 | Black, silver, and white | Miguel Landaverde |
| Tulsa Lobos FC Tulsa Lobos FC Tulsa Lobos FC is an American soccer team. Founded in 2010, the team will begin play in the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by US Club Soccer and affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, in the winter of 2010.... |
Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... , OK Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... |
Booker T Washington High School | 2010 | 2010 | Red and blue | José Carlos Godoy |
| Rio Grande Valley Ocelots FC Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC Rio Grande Valley Bravos was an American soccer team based in Brownsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference, until the end of the 2010... |
Brownsville Brownsville, Texas Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of... , TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
Brownsville Sports Park | 2008 | Spring 2011 | Orange, white, silver, and black | Juan de Dios Garcia |
| Houston Hurricane FC | Houston Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... , TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
North Channel Park | 2011 | 2011 | Red and black | Eric Martinez |
| Ft Worth Intertunnel | Ft Worth, TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
TBA TBA |
2010 | 2011-2012 | TBA | TBA |
Expansion
The new SPSL club in Brownsville, Texas, will be renamed RGV Ocelots FC. The Houston Hurricane FC and Ft Worth have been added for the 2011 Summer Cup. Shanendoah, Texas (Montgomery County) has been named as an expansion franchise.Team names
Originally, in the style of other U.S. sports, teams were given nicknames at their creation such as the Corpus Christi FuelCorpus Christi Fuel
Corpus Christi Fuel is an American amateur soccer team based in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team began play in the Southern Premier Soccer League , a league sanctioned by US Club Soccer and affiliated with the US Soccer Federation in the winter of 2010.The team's...
or the Texas Lonestrikers. Three exceptions to this were Galveston Pirate SC, Regals FC, and Tulsa Lobos FC, adopting naming conventions usually seen in European clubs. However, one new team RGV Ocelots FC continued this trend. One club has their name from their origins in defunct American professional soccer leagues like the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, the 1978-80 Houston Hurricane
Houston Hurricane
The Houston Hurricane was a soccer team based out of Houston that played in the NASL. They played from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was the Astrodome. Their colors were orange, white and red....
.
There are only two SPSL clubs whose name does not specify a city, state, or region. Club América Academy is named for the Mexican team Club de Fútbol América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
, who are often known by their nickname "Águilas," which translates to "Eagles". Regals FC elected not to utilize a geographical reference as well.