FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The new Kansas Adult State League opens the first step on a merit-based road from senior youth soccer to national Tier 1 opportunities
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (November 11, 2026)
Every year, Kansas players finish their last youth season and walk off the field with no clear next step. Some find a pickup game. Many simply stop playing. That changes now.
The Kansas State Soccer Association (KSSA) and the Great Lakes Alliance (GLA) announced today that they are uniting operations. GLA will lead league development and operations for the state’s adult league, newly branded as the Kansas Adult State League, and will work alongside Kansas clubs to bring a structured pathway to life.
The result is something Kansas soccer has never had: one connected, merit-based route that lets a team grow from senior youth soccer all the way to a national handoff at the Tier 1 level.
A road map that starts at home
The pathway begins where so many players fall away. Athletes aging out of youth, high school and college soccer now have a place to keep playing, and their first stop is the Kansas Adult State League. Played close to home, the league runs a spring season from April to June and a fall season from August to October.
Teams that want more can keep climbing. The next level is foundational regional play in the Central Plains Premier League, where clubs compete under their own names. Above that sits NPSL-RL, a highly competitive, pre-professional regional competition. At the top, the clubs that earn it receive a national handoff to a Tier 1 opportunity.
Every step along the way is earned. Teams move up by winning on the field and by meeting the standard set for the next level. No one buys a place.
A unifying structure
For the Great Lakes Alliance, Kansas is the first place to show the full model working from end to end.
“This is growth driven,” said Jason Brown, Managing Director of Adult Amateur and Pre-Professional League Development for the Great Lakes Alliance. “It gives teams coming out of senior youth soccer a natural progression, one step at a time, all the way to a national Tier 1 handoff. We are creating a unifying structure that brings every party to the same table, because everyone involved wants a true merit-based pathway to become the preferred path.”
GLA President Ed Bernstein said the goal is to give adult players the kind of clarity young players already take for granted. “The adult game deserves the same clarity the youth game already has,” Bernstein said. “Kansas is the first place we can show the whole picture, from a team’s first adult season to the national stage.”
“Kansas players finally have a road map”
For KSSA, the partnership answers a request it has heard from its own members for years.
“Our clubs have asked for a stronger adult game and a real place for players to go after youth soccer,” said Bob Riggs, President of the Kansas State Soccer Association. “Too many talented Kansas players step away from the game at 18 or 19 simply because nobody showed them what comes next. This partnership changes that.”
Riggs said the arrangement lets each organization focus on what it does best. “It lets KSSA keep doing what we do best, serving and growing our membership, while the Great Lakes Alliance brings the league and the pathway to life,” he said. “Whether a team wants to play closer to home or chase the highest level it can reach, there is now a place for it. Kansas players finally have a road map, and it starts right here at home.”
Information sessions
Club leaders, coaches, team managers and players are invited to learn more at one of two online information sessions, on Sunday, November 15, at 3:00 pm Central and Tuesday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. Central. Those interested can register to attend a session or contact Jason Brown, of the Great Lakes Alliance, directly.
About the Kansas State Soccer Association
The Kansas State Soccer Association, Inc. (KSSA) is the sanctioned adult soccer organization for Kansas and a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association. A not-for-profit Kansas corporation, KSSA administers, develops and promotes adult soccer, with the goal of a safe, positive experience for players at every level. KSSA supports its member clubs, coaches and players through leagues, a state championship tournament, referee development, insurance coverage, SafeSport resources, and education and certification for referees, coaches and administrators. Learn more at soccerkansas.org.
About the Great Lakes Alliance
The Great Lakes Alliance (GLA) was formed in 2017 and operates both adult and youth soccer leagues. On the adult side, GLA runs the U23 Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) and the NPSL Regional League (NPSL RL). On the youth side, GLA is a member of the US Club Soccer ECNL RL and National 1 League platforms, with over 1,500 teams in its US Club Soccer–sanctioned leagues and approximately 22,500 players from member clubs in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. GLA is also a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Media contact: Jason Brown, Great Lakes Alliance | jason@apasoccer.com | +1 (317) 401-3286