Charlotte Eagles Join MLS NEXT

March 9, 2026, 4:00 PM

The Charlotte Eagles are excited to announce that we have been accepted into the MLS NEXT Academy Division for our U13 through U19 age groups beginning in the 2026/27 season.

MLS NEXT provides the best player development experience in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and a commitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest levels of competition and training to prepare them for their futures, both in soccer and in life. The Academy Division provides a platform for strong competition while also maintaining the ability for players to play high school soccer.

From Charlotte Eagles Technical Director, Chris McClellan:

“We are thrilled to announce that the Charlotte Eagles have been accepted into MLS NEXT Academy Division for the upcoming 2026/27 season.

This next step reflects the dedication our players and staff have shown over the past several years in building a strong developmental pathway and elevating on-field development, while remaining faithful to our ultimate mission of using the game of soccer to make Jesus Christ known throughout the youth soccer landscape.

With the addition of the MLS NEXT Academy Division, we are excited about how it fully integrates with our current NAL platform. These two leagues offer a comprehensive and connected developmental experience across multiple teams in each age group. The MLS NEXT Academy Division will serve our current Academy teams, and NAL will serve our current Orange teams starting next year. NCYSA and CCL will continue serving our Pre-Academy and Blue teams.

We are grateful for the developing relationships we have had with both NAL and MLS NEXT over the past few years and look forward to what is ahead for our club and our families.”

Tryouts for our U15 - U19 MLS NEXT and NAL teams will take place on March 20th and March 30th at our Charlotte Eagles Soccer Complex.

• U17 & U19: 5:00 - 7:00 PM

• U15 & U16: 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Tryouts for our U13 and U14 MLS NEXT and NAL teams will take place in May as well as tryouts for our NCYCA and CCL programs.

To register for tryouts, click the link here

To learn more about MLS NEXT, click the link here