TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League (USL) announced the expansion of USL Youth, the foundation of the league’s youth-to-professional pathway, with the addition of the new Northeast Division for the 2026 season.
The Northeast Division will comprise of seven clubs across the New England region, including three new clubs to the USL Youth ecosystem. The addition of USL Youth also completes the developmental youth-to-professional pathway for established professional clubs like USL Championship member Hartford Athletic.
“Being part of USL Youth will strengthen our learning environment, expand competitive games and exposure opportunities throughout the summer, and align our club with a clear long-term structure that supports growth both on and off the field,” said Ross Peebles Brown, Hartford Athletic Director of Coaching & Curriculum. “Engaging with and introducing players to the Hartford Athletic DNA earlier in their journey deepens their connection to the club and the standards we represent. By immersing them in an environment built to develop, nurture, and advance our young players and people, we help them build transferable skills such as leadership, resilience, accountability, and teamwork.”
“Having a high-level youth product in Hartford will allow us to keep our best players local to be developed into the professionals for Hartford Athletic in the near future,” added Moise Carelus, Hartford Athletic Director of Administration. “Our aim is to give a merit-based pathway to the absolute best players.”
The Northeast Division will be comprised of the following clubs for the 2026 season:
AC Connecticut
Cedar Stars Academy
Hartford Athletic
Hudson Valley Hammers
Inter Connecticut FC
Tri State Stars FC
Vale SC
“Our complete USL player development pathway now spans from U11 through pre-professional competition, connecting our USL Youth summer teams to our U20 USL Academy League squads and all the way to our USL League Two and USL W League franchises,” said Owen Baillargeon, AC Connecticut Youth Director. “This structure ensures our players have a clear, consistent pathway to train, compete, and grow year-round while experiencing meaningful, high-level games every step of the way.”