GRSC Looking Forward: Joining APSL, And Why American Soccer Needs an Open Pyramid
Grand Rapids Soccer Club has wrapped up its sophomore season in the Midwest Premier League (MWPL). We faced strong regional sides and continued building our identity across West Michigan. After a slow start, we finished the final weeks in full stride, performing as a top team in the conference. The MWPL remains an important part of our competitive calendar, and we plan to continue participating in the future.
At the same time, we are taking a significant step forward.
GRSC is joining the American Premier Soccer League (APSL) Mitten Conference for the 2026-27 season. We will be the first West Michigan club in the APSL.
Tevan Jones (South Africa) looks for his next pass. vs Lansing Common FC, June 12, 2026.
Why APSL?
We believe the APSL model is the most realistic long-term structure for community clubs:
Year-round competition: A 10-month fall-to-spring calendar that aligns with the global game. As American soccer grows and becomes more international, this schedule will become the standard. Running operations year-round also brings major benefits for the club.
Meaningful stakes: Playoff prize money and a clear pathway toward national competition. With a $1,500 annual base fee and a $125,000 national prize pool, the risk-to-reward ratio is very strong.
Promotion/Relegation with the Michigan Premier Soccer League (MPSL): Strong MPSL sides can earn promotion into the Mitten Conference. The bottom APSL side can drop down. This is how regional leagues feed higher levels in the top football nations around the world.
A truly open system: Low barriers to entry and no exclusive territory rights. Every community club has a genuine chance to compete and rise.
These features reward performance, encourage investment in players and infrastructure, and keep the door open for small but ambitious clubs. Done right, this approach can help bring high-level soccer to towns across America.
"We believe the APSL's structure, built around promotion and relegation, feeder-league pathways, low barriers to entry, and a full 10-month competitive calendar, represents the most realistic and sustainable model for community clubs over the long term. As the first West Michigan club in the league, we're proud to help spearhead an open, merit-based system in our region."
— TJ VanSlooten, GRSC Manager
View the official announcement on instagram.
Why This Matters Beyond One Club
American soccer will not become the best in the world under a closed system that exploits the game for financial gain rather than prioritizing football itself. When the worst teams face no real consequence and the best cannot rise freely, mediocrity is protected. The result is weaker development pathways, higher costs for families at the youth level, and a product that struggles to hold attention. That’s plastic, manufactured football.
The root of many of these problems sits in the Pro League Standards. We believe meaningful reform is needed, including:
Ending exclusive territory rights in any system that claims to use promotion and relegation.
Full FIFA-aligned solidarity and training compensation (domestic and international) so clubs and youth academies that develop players are properly rewarded.
Allowing non-profit, community, or public-benefit ownership models that meet strong financial and governance standards. Real Madrid and Barcelona operate as non-profits. Bundesliga clubs must maintain majority fan ownership. The U.S. needs more flexibility in its ownership rules.
An open pyramid creates real stakes every week. It rewards clubs that treat players well, develop talent, and build sustainably. It is the environment in which world-class players and clubs are most likely to emerge.
US Pro Leagues Pyramid
MLS operates as a closed franchise system with a Major & Minor league like the NBA, MLB, and NHL.
USL plans to launch a new Division 1 league (USL Premier) in 2028 and introduce promotion and relegation across a three-tier professional structure. USL also operates as a closed franchise system.
APSL currently sits in the fourth tier of the U.S. soccer pyramid, with the MPSL and lower leagues below it, and offers the closest existing model to an open, merit-based structure.
We believe strongly in widespread promotion and relegation for engaging communities in the sport. Elversberg, a town of roughly 6,000 people in Germany, earned promotion into the Bundesliga last year. They’ll now compete against giants like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Many are also familiar with the show Welcome to Wrexham, starring Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, where the entire premise is based on promoting a National League (5th-tier) club all the way toward the English Premier League.
If a club finishes near the top of La Liga, EPL, Eredivisie, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, or other top domestic leagues, they win promotion to the UEFA Champions League. From there, to FIFA Club World Cup.
Imagine an open system where every town in America is structurally on the same playing field as the biggest clubs in the world. A club from Grand Rapids could theoretically win the Concacaf Champions Cup and then the FIFA Club World Cup. As ambitious (or delusional) as that sounds, knowing we’d share the same pathway as Real Madrid and Barcelona is exactly what ignites real belief and passion in a community.
What’s Next for GRSC
We will continue competing in the MWPL in summers for our in-college players while launching our APSL campaign this fall. Our focus remains the same: developing local players, growing the game in Grand Rapids, and proving that an ambitious, community-rooted club can thrive in an open system.
Coach Manuel Vidrio (Former Mexican National Team Player & Coach) delivers instructions. @ Goshen City FC, June 6, 2026.
We are proud to help bring this open leagues model to West Michigan. The goal is bigger than any single season or league table. We want to help build a football culture here that prioritizes the game itself rather than exploiting it for financial gain.
