TAMPA, Fla. - The United Soccer League announced today that its USL Academy Finals will return to the state-of-the-art IMG Academy facility in Bradenton, Florida. The tournament will feature the top 16 teams from the league’s 12 divisions and will kick off on Thursday, December 4 and conclude with the championship match on Sunday, December 7.

The format of the competition will remain the same after an evolution in 2024. The 12 division winners will be joined in Florida by three second-place wild card teams and Indy Eleven, who booked their spot after winning the 2025 USL Spring Pathway Classic U20 Elite championship.

One wild card bid will be split between the Mountain, Metropolitan and Mid Atlantic Divisions. The second wild card bid will be between the Great Forest, South Atlantic, Southwest, Cactus, and Southeast Coast Divisions. The final wild card spot will go to the second-place team in the Florida Division.

Seeding protocol will also remain the same for 2025. The USL Sporting Committee will sort the 16 teams into four pots using a weighted tier system under the following criteria: 

• Roster Composition (30%) 

  • Determined by the submitted roster to the USL League Office 

• League Results (30%) 

  • Teams are rated in this section solely based on their PPG 

• Strength of Schedule (40%)

  • Teams are rated in this section on how their division have performed in USL national events (Cups and Finals) 

Once the clubs have been assigned to respective pots, the USL League Office will produce a draw to determine the Round of 16 matchups and structure of the tournament bracket. Teams from the same division will not be selected as a matchup in the Round of 16.

In addition to the 16-team single elimination bracket, the USL Academy Finals will also include an invitational division. This will provide teams that drop out of the competitive single elimination bracket, as well as other top USL Academy clubs and players around the country, an additional platform to showcase their talent and gain visibility for collegiate and professional opportunities.

“After a hugely successful tournament last year, we’re excited to return to IMG Academy to host the USL Academy League Finals and Invitational Division,” said USL Academy Operations Director Lucas Ohlman. “We look forward to this event each year as it shows off the high-quality play happening across our league and provides a knockout-style tournament that provides a highly competitive environment that serves as a valuable experience in the development of our players.”