Gulf Coast Premier League

The Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) is a United States Adult Soccer Association affiliated Amateur Elite League that includes teams from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The regular season of the GCPL runs May through July. On August 13, 2020 it was announced that the GCPL would be the first "amateur league affiliation" of the National Independent Soccer Association[1] after Gaffa FC and Louisiana Krewe FC competed in the NISA 2020 Independent Cup.

Gulf Coast Premier League
Founded2014
CountryUnited States
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teams18
Domestic cup(s)Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Current championsFC New Orleans
(2019)
Most championshipsMotagua New Orleans (3)
Websitegcplsoccer.com
Current: 2019 GCPL season

Louisiana Premier League

The Louisiana Premier League was formed in 2014 by the Louisiana Soccer Association's Adult Committee members, Jonathan Rednour and Chad Vidrine, with the assistance of Pool Boys FC founder, Jeremy Poklemba. The recent success of a similar formatted competition,[2] administered by the LSA, in the spring of 2014 and the emergence of newly formed clubs, Pool Boys FC and Cajun Soccer Club, along with the interest from Motagua New Orleans from the ISLANO league, offered an opportunity to create a statewide elite amateur league. Motagua New Orleans won the inaugural season, defeating Cajun Soccer Club in the finals, 4-2.

On March 8, 2016 the Louisiana Premier League was granted Elite Amateur League status by the United States Adult Soccer Association.[3]

Gulf Coast Premier League

On August 1, 2016 the Louisiana Premier League, sanctioned and operated by the Louisiana Soccer Association, folded to make way for the newly formed Gulf Coast Premier League. The league formed as a non-profit organization expanding itself to clubs outside Louisiana along the gulf coast.[4]

In January 2017 the league announced three expansion teams, expanding the league footprint into Alabama and Florida.[5] Central Texas Lobos FC were announced as a future member in June 2017.

Developmental League

A 4-team developmental league called the Gulf Coast Development League (GCDL) was announced and began play in May 2019.

2020 Fall Tournament Showcase

The League announced it would cancel its 2020 regular season due to the coronavirus epidemic but left open the possibility of a fall competition.[6] In October 2020 the League announced the Fall Tournament Showcase featuring 5 teams: Pool Boys FC, Louisiana Krewe FC, Crescent City FC, Mobile United FC and new addition 14th Ward FC.[7]

Great Plains Premier League

In 2019, the GCPL announced the creation of the Great Plains Premier League (GPPL), an expansion conference/sister league with teams to be based in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas or Missouri. The GPPL will begin play in 2020 and the first team to join, Nebraska Bugeaters FC, would play their 2019 season as exhibition-only.[8][9]

Teams
Team City Stadium Founded Inaugural season Head Coach
West Division
*Pool Boys FC Alexandria, Louisiana Wildcat Field at Louisiana College 2013 2014 Jeremy Poklemba
Cajun Soccer Club Lafayette, Louisiana LUS Fiber Field 2013 2014 Mark Hiller
Central Texas Lobos FC Buda, Texas Bob Shelton Stadium 2015 2018 Jorge Cruz
Shreveport United Shreveport, Louisiana Cargill Park 2016 2018 Francois Browne
*Louisiana Krewe FC Lafayette, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility 2018 2019 Joan Olivia
Central Division
Baton Rouge SC Baton Rouge, Louisiana Olympia Stadium 2016 2017 Michael Zanco
*Crescent City FC New Orleans, Louisiana Holy Cross School 2015 2020 Wilmer Peralta
Gaffa FC Jackson, Mississippi Freedom Ridge Park 2016 2017 Humberto Peláez
Mississippi Blues SC Jackson, Mississippi Harper Davis Field 2018 2018 Kurt Albrecht
Northshore United FC Covington, Louisiana Wolverine Stadium 2017 2018 Chris Penton
East Division
Gulf Coast Rangers FC Fairhope, Alabama Fairhope Municipal Stadium 2017 2018 Daniel Whelan
Hattiesburg FC Hattiesburg, Mississippi Crusader Field 1980 2019 Barry Farrell
*Mobile United FC Mobile, Alabama The Jungle 2010 2020 Kevin deLange
Pensacola FC Pensacola, Florida Ashton Brosnaham Stadium 2017 2017 Austin King
Great Plains (Expansion Teams)
Nebraska Bugeaters FC[10] Omaha, Nebraska Morrison Stadium 2018 2020 Scott Robertson
Fall Tournament Showcase (not otherwise listed)
*14th Ward FC New Orleans, Louisiana Audubon Park 2020 2020 TBA
  • denotes 2020 Fall Tournament Showcase participant

Former Teams

Seasons
Season Winner Runner-up Highest goalscorer
2014–15 Motagua New Orleans Cajun Soccer Club Steven Morris (Motagua New Orleans) 12
2015–16 Motagua New Orleans Boca Knights FC Joel Amos (Lake City Gamblers)

Leonardo Ferriera de Barros (Motagua New Orleans)

 6
2016–17 Motagua New Orleans Shreveport Rafters FC B Reece Wilson (Motagua New Orleans) 18
2017 Gaffa FC Cajun Soccer Club Vasbert Ledger (Cajun Soccer Club) 9
2018 Port City FC Cajun Soccer Club Quesi Weston (BOCA FC) 16
2019 FC New Orleans Northshore United Roger Llergo (FC New Orleans)

Adrian Olivares Rodriguez (Louisiana Krewe) Oscar Saavedra (Central Texas Lobos FC)

 9

References
  1. "NISA ANNOUNCES FIRST AMATEUR AFFILIATION WITH GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE (GCPL)". NISA Homepage. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  2. "2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Cajun SC to face CD Motagua in Louisiana final". TheCup.us. 3 April 2014.
  3. "Gulf Coast Premier League". United States Adult Soccer Association.
  4. "About - Gulf Coast Premier League". Gulf Coast Premier League. 1 August 2016.
  5. "Gulf Coast Premier League announces summer season; adds 3 new clubs". Gulf Coast Premier League. 3 January 2017.
  6. "GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE CANCELS 2020 SEASON; PLANS FOR A FALL SEASON BEING DISCUSSED". Gulf Coast Premier League. 4 May 2020.
  7. "GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES FALL TOURNAMENT SHOWCASE". Gulf Coast Premier League. 14 October 2020.
  8. https://www.gcplsoccer.com/bugeaters-fc-joins-the-gcpl/
  9. https://www.plainsleague.com/s/GPPL-Info-11-18.pdf
  10. "BUGEATERS FC JOIN THE GULF COAST PREMIER LEAGUE". Gulf Coast Premier League. February 18, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
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