Sporting Club Jacksonville and Florida Elite Soccer Academy announced a combination in November, meaning that the state’s largest youth club would be coming under the Sporting JAX umbrella. Florida Elite may be inheriting the Sporting JAX color scheme and identity, but the new pro club will also be inheriting something: the organization’s pre-professional teams.
The USL operates two pre-professional leagues: USL W League for women and USL League Two for men. They both serve as bridges between the amateur and professional levels, with collegiate players making up a majority of the league’s rosters. Because of this, the seasons take place during the late spring and early summer months.
These teams may not display the glitz and glamor that is often seen higher up the pyramid, but the action on the pitch is just as exciting. These players have something to prove as they seek to become the stars of tomorrow. A unique aspect of Sporting JAX is that the club will have both pre-professional and professional teams for women and men. This means that its players at the pre-pro level have a legitimate chance to work their way to the pro squads.
Only one other USL club, Lexington SC, boasts the same depth to its program with teams in the USL Championship, USL Super League, USL W League and USL League Two.
League Structure
What do these leagues look like? Let’s start with the largest of them all. USL League Two hosts nearly 150 teams, which are grouped into four conferences. From there, teams are segmented into geographical divisions. Sporting JAX will play in the Southeast Division of the Southern Conference, joined by five clubs also from the Sunshine State.
As for the W League, it’s a similar setup with a few less teams. Just under 100 teams are spread across four divisions, with Sporting JAX calling the Southeast Division home.
The Schedule
Kicking off in May, W League and League Two have the honor of hosting the first-ever Sporting JAX schedules. Both schedules feature a heavy dose of in-state action. Let’s take a look at W League.
The first detail that catches the eye is that there are five away matches to start the season. While this means a lot of early travel for Sporting JAX, it does help backload the schedule with plenty of home matches to close out the regular season. Being able to play on their home turf while making their final push towards the playoffs could be a major advantage. Exciting dates include the home opener on June 3 against Brevard Riptide SC and the finale on June 18 against Tallahassee Reckoning.
The men in League Two will also face plenty of road tests early, playing five of their first six away from home. Similar to the W League team, they’ll have a four-match home stand during the last stretch of the season. The regular season will cap off with a home fixture against Brooke House FC on June 23.
These units will have the honor of being the first to don the Sporting JAX crest. This will all build into the excitement of Sporting JAX’s Super League squad taking to the pitch in August. With so much excitement just around the corner, follow along to stay updated and be a part of the action!
