The growth and popularity of soccer in the United States continues to grow and prosper in 2024. Since the appearance of the UPSL in the Georgia area in 2018, the same could be said for developmental, lower league soccer.
From its modest beginnings as the UPSL Atlanta Caribbean Division teams were just a step up from recreational teams. In 2024, fully professional clubs and academies are now commonplace as they continue building clubs and training up players to advance to the next class of professional soccer players in the USA.
The 2024 Spring season in the UPSL Georgia Premier Division was one of the most compelling and competitive in the history of the Georgia Conference. As we move on to the coming Fall season, a realignment was needed to assure that the Premier division would further reach the next level of progress. Following are the details of this realignment:
Leaving the Premier Division in the Fall:
Atlanta United Academy:
A realignment internally at Atlanta United sees them dissolve the U19 Academy team to reorganize and focus on MLS Next with U16 and U18 age groups. A return to the UPSL could happen in the near future but for now, United will be replaced by keeping up one of the Spring season’s relegated teams in Premier.
Soccer Saves Lives (SSL) FC:
SSL FC’s existence in the Premier Division has been ruled ineligible due to the team operating as a 2nd team to Kalonji Pro-Profile as well as a consistent failure to meet participation standards for the Premier Division. Under UPSL rules, participating clubs may not field 2 teams at the same time in the Premier Division. Teams that participate in Premier also must meet the minimum standards of participation in the Premier Division. SSL will be manually moved to a lower division to be determined after the Georgia Conference realignment is completed.
Relegated Teams:
Due to both Atlanta United Academy and SSL FC leaving the Premier Division for Fall, this allows both the Spring season’s relegated teams, FC Atlanta and North Georgia United FC, to remain in the Georgia Premier Division for the coming Fall season.
Promotion Details:
LSA won the division 1 playoff and qualified for automatic promotion to the Premier. Unfortunately, LSA reported that they would not be able to field a team in Premier for the Fall season.
As a consequence of LSA not progressing to the Premier Division, runner’s up Fountain City FC will take the automatic promotion spot vacated by LSA.
Vinotinto Atlanta won the Division 1 promotion playoff and earned promotion to the Premier Division. Vinotinto’s return to the Georgia Conference top flight after only one season in division 1.
Legends FC (like LSA FC and Atlanta United Academy) reported that they too would be skipping the Fall season which in turn, opened another promotion spot which goes to the runner up to the division 1 playoffs, Atlanta Fire South FC (to be rebranded as Albion SC Atlanta)
Note: The UPSL has granted the Georgia Division an additional spot in Premier to bring the total number of teams to 14 teams. This allocation can be applied to the Fall season or to the Spring 2025 season. More to come on that…
