The 2020 NPSL (National Premier Soccer League) season has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Soccer’s unofficial fourth-tier in the USA has seen all of its games cancelled with immediate effective for 2020 season, as the West region had already begun their regular season and the majority of the conferences were due to begin play in May.
The Chairman of the NPSL board Kenneth Farrell released the following statement on Thursday.
“On March 23, the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) extended its ban on soccer activity until April 30, and the CDC last week has recommended there be no group activities for 8 weeks, which coordinates to May 10. Given these circumstances, the 2020 NPSL summer season, under its current competition structure, has been cancelled. This decision was made unanimously by our Board of Directors.
“This action was not taken lightly. Over the past few weeks, the league has spoken to many of its teams and affiliate organizations. Every situation is different and has its own set of circumstances. The NPSL is balancing the immediate needs of its teams, and ensuring that there is a successful, thriving league for years to come.”
With Major League Soccer suspended until May 10 at the earliest, and the USL following suit, there was a window of opportunity for the NPSL to be the only soccer league in-play in the USA for a few weeks.
The NPSL has 94 teams across 14 conferences across the USA and the semi-professional league is usually full of players from the collegiate game who continue to train and play each summer.