2020 NPSL Season Cancelled

The 2020 National Premier Soccer League is over before it began. This afternoon the NPSL, which hosts the North Conference that Dakota Fusion, Duluth FC, LC Aris FC, Med City FC, Milwaukee Torrent, and Minneapolis City SC announced the cancellation of its upcoming 2020 season.

This is a tough but correct decision by a league whose last 12 months have been wrought with turmoil. From the announcement of the NPSL Founders Cup, to losing multiple teams to NISA and rebranding it as the Members Cup, to the announcement then postponing of a proposed Spring/Fall league, this last year has not been an easy one for the NPSL.

Currently the NPSL is the only one of the five major amateur leagues to have cancelled its season. Currently USL League Two has stated that it has postponed the start of the season but has provided no specific date. The UPSL, where Minneapolis City 2 and the new Maplebrook club play, has eyed a start date for May 2nd, which is before the CDC’s guideline date of May 10th. The WPSL has announced a start date of May 29th while the UWS appears to be starting on May 9th.

Here are some key statements from Minneapolis City SC, Dakota Fusion and Milwaukee Torrent. As of publishing, Duluth FC, and Med City FC have not gotten back to us, however we will link to their respective posts should they have them.

More information about Minneapolis City and their statement can be found here.

Dakota Fusion’s full statement can be found below:

I made a phone call to Torrent GM/HC Andreas Davi this afternoon and here are the bullet points from that conversation.

• Torrent will not field a team (men’s or women’s) in 2020
• Decision was made prior to the NPSL announcement, but could not make a statement until the official announcement from the leeague
• Felt he (Davi/Torrent) cannot provide safe environment for the fans, players, etc.
• Morally felt that he could not take money from sponsors due to outbreak, wants to help and supports sponsors and community.
• Hardest decision he’s had to make regarding soccer in his career.

More information about the Torrent’s statement and feelings can be found here.

The NPSL has also released an FAQ which can be read in full here, however here are a few key points from it.

• If the COVID-19 situation improves, the NPSL will be ready to pivot and provide our teams with a platform to play games in the mid-to-late summer of 2020.
• The NPSL remains focused on launching the 2020 Members Cup in August. Details about the Members Cup can be found here. We will be making announcements about this competition in the future.
• Is there any chance that the NPSL plays games in 2020? Yes, and we are hopeful that the environment enables us to do that. We hope that the COVID-19 pandemic subsides quickly, which would allow medical professionals to permit larger gatherings in 2020. If this happens, our goal is to provide our teams with a platform to play games in 2020, including the Members Cup.

As we get more information we will update you further. Until then be safe and support these local teams and their sponsors during this trying time.