ECNL Post Season Structure 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just heard that ECNL Playoffs next year will be Sweet 16 only for all age groups similar to the U18/19 and played in one week in the East Coast. MA will only have 2-3 teams per age group. Anyone have any insight on this?

Makes sense boatload of teams jump ship to GA. Consolidated playoffs seems logical

Maybe the World Cup has something to do with it? I don’t think losing seven clubs to an inferior league would cause a new playoff structure.

Whether you think GA is inferior or not less teams mean less playoff berths. 2 berths for MA seems about right. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Its because of the WC

Its also because expecting parents to play for flying out playoffs. Then a couple weeks later flying out to finals is ridiculous.

With any large group some arent going to be able to afford that much travel and expenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were told that everything will be in Seattle next year - no finals in Richmond. Driven by the World Cup, playoffs are later in July than they have been.

For the MA, there are guaranteed (2) spots and a 3rd spot is shared across (3) other groups - top team in 3rd place gets the spot. This is due to the fact that the MA dropped (2) more teams in NVA and Charlotte Independence.

I haven't heard what other big changes are coming.

Then that would mean a 32 team playoff? I was told MA would not be adding any teams either even though they lost CISC and Loudoun although that seems strange. You'd think they'd restructure with either the conference north or south of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big changes coming after Richmond finals finish up. Many posters here will be shocked. It’s going to be great to watch the panic set in.

Or we can just look at the calendar and see something big is happening in the US at the same time. That "big thing" is occurring in Seattle, Southern CA and the East Coast, as well as Canada and Mexico.

I mean, I guess it is possible that ECNL is suddenly imploding, or maybe they're just looking at the same calendar we all see. Can you imagine getting a hotel or rental in Seattle that week, or even San Diego. Maybe they move ECNL playoffs to the East Coast (SC or NC), but unlikely.

Not just playoffs. League wide changes. ECNL fan boys and girls will panic.

[Anonymous]

MA is definitely adding a NC team - Highland. Losing two, adding one. Supposedly 7 playoff slots (down from 8 this year). But haven’t heard anything about structure being different in 2026.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MA is definitely adding a NC team - Highland. Losing two, adding one. Supposedly 7 playoff slots (down from 8 this year). But haven’t heard anything about structure being different in 2026.

Nobody on this forum cares about boys soccer

[Anonymous]

Our MA schedule has us playing each team twice at U17.