League1 Alberta
Organising bodyCanadian Soccer Association
Alberta Soccer Association
Founded2023 (2023)
First season2024
CountryCanada
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teams7 (men's)
7 (women's)
Level on pyramid3
Domestic cup(s)Canadian Championship (men)
Interprovincial Championship (women)
WebsiteLeague website
Current: 2023 League1 Alberta Exhibition Series

League1 Alberta (L1AB) is a semi-professional men's and women's soccer league in Alberta, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Alberta Soccer Association as a Division III Pro-Am league in the Canadian soccer league system.

In the Canadian soccer league system, the men's division is behind the Canadian Premier League (CPL). It is part of League1 Canada, the national third tier with regional division, with L1BC equaivalent to Ligue1 Québec (L1Q) and League1 Ontario (L1O). The men's league champion qualifies for the Canadian Championship, the domestic cup championship, for the following season.

History

In 2021, a group of clubs from British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba organized the 2021 Summer Series, a series of friendly soccer matches played between Western Canadian soccer clubs to showcase a potential national second division.[1] In 2022, another exhibition showcase was organized by four clubs – three from Alberta (Calgary Foothills FC, Edmonton Scottish, BTB Soccer Academy) and one from Manitoba (FC Manitoba) – as an entity known as Central League1.[2]

In March 2023, League1 Alberta was announced with an exhibition series being organized, with six clubs participating (five in each gendered division) – the Calgary Foothills, Edmonton Scottish, St. Albert Impact, and BTB Soccer Academy would field teams of both genders, while Cavalry FC would field a team in the men's series and the Calgary Blizzard in the women's division.[3][4] The first matches were played on May 12, 2023,[5] with an official league season planned to be launch for the following season.[6][7]

In December 2023, it was announced that the league would officially be sanctioned for official competition under the League1 Canada umbrella for the 2024 season, with seven clubs participating in each division.[8][9]

Clubs

Currently seven men's teams and seven women's teams have been announced to participate in the 2024 season, of which four are based in Greater Calgary and three are based in Greater Edmonton.

Men's division
Team City Principal stadium First season
Edmonton BTB SC Edmonton Clarke Stadium 2023
Calgary Blizzard SC Calgary Broadview Park 2024
Calgary Foothills FC Calgary Macron Performance Centre 2023
Calgary South West United SC Calgary 2024
Cavalry FC U21 Foothills County Hellard Field/Dino Field 2023
Edmonton Scottish Edmonton Hamish Black Field 2023
St. Albert Impact St. Albert Riel Recreation Park 2023
Women's division
Team City Principal stadium First season
Edmonton BTB SC Edmonton Clarke Stadium 2023
Calgary Blizzard SC Calgary Broadview Park 2023
Calgary Foothills WFC Calgary Macron Performance Centre 2023
Calgary South West United SC Calgary 2024
Edmonton Scottish Edmonton Hamish Black Field 2023
NDC Alberta 2024
St. Albert Impact St. Albert Riel Recreation Park 2023

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Press Release: Central League 1 2022 Exhibition Series". Calgary Foothills FC. May 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ Parkes, David (May 6, 2022). "Is A League1 Prairies In The Pipeline?". Northern Tribune.
  3. ↑ "League1 Alberta Exhibition Series confirms participating clubs for 2023". OneSoccer. March 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ "League1 Alberta Exhibition Series Clubs Confirmed" (PDF). Alberta Soccer Association. March 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ @league1alberta (April 17, 2023). "Opening day announced" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ "League1 Alberta In The Works". Northern Tribune. January 19, 2023.
  7. ↑ Parkes, David (March 10, 2023). "Official:League1 Alberta Exhibition Series Confirmed". Northern Tribune.
  8. ↑ "League1 Canada announces expansion to Alberta". Canadian Premier League. December 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Mahmoudi, Nelson (December 8, 2023). "League1 Alberta Joins League1 Canada Alliance". Northern Tribune.
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