Updated October 2026 for the 2026-27 season.
MLS NEXT has two divisions. The Homegrown Division is the top tier, made up of every MLS club academy plus the strongest independent clubs. The Academy Division is the second tier, added in 2025-26, and it lets players compete in MLS NEXT while still playing high school soccer.
If you've been trying to figure out which one fits your athlete, you're not alone. I get this question constantly, and the answer changed again this season: the two divisions now use different age-group calendars, and MLS NEXT has started moving clubs up from Academy to Homegrown. If you're new to the league as a whole, start with our overview of what MLS NEXT is and how it works.
What is the MLS NEXT Homegrown Division?
The Homegrown Division is the top tier. It includes every MLS club academy (teams directly affiliated with an MLS club, like LA Galaxy or Atlanta United) plus the highest-level non-MLS clubs, which MLS NEXT calls Elite Academies.
The name comes from the MLS Homegrown Player Rule, which lets professional clubs sign players directly out of their own academies. If your athlete's goal is to go pro, this is the path that leads there most directly. It is not the only one.
Competition at this level is elite. Players are evaluated by professional eyes regularly, and the stakes are high. A few rules set it apart:
Birth-year age groups. Teams are grouped by calendar year (January 1 to December 31), the same way FIFA and the youth national teams group players (MLS NEXT).
No high school soccer without a waiver. For 2026-27, Homegrown players are expected to skip high school soccer. Waivers are possible for financial aid or admission tied to soccer, or for other documented reasons, and a player who plays without one can't re-register until fall 2027 (2026-27 waiver).
The heaviest pro scouting. This is where MLS clubs sign most of their Homegrown players.
What is the MLS NEXT Academy Division?
The Academy Division is the second tier. It launched in 2025-26 and brought clubs that used to play in other leagues under the MLS NEXT umbrella. And if a club performs well in the Academy Division, it can get promoted to Homegrown. Promotion applies to the whole club, every age group at once, and there is no set formula for who moves up. The division now has about 230 clubs and 25,000 players, run by five regional league operators (MLS NEXT).
The big change here isn't the branding. It's the access. Academy Division teams play at the same national showcases as Homegrown teams, including MLS NEXT Fest, so players from both divisions are seen by the same college coaches and pro scouts. Academy teams can also qualify for MLS NEXT Cup, where each division crowns its own champions.
What's different for 2026-27:
School-year age groups. Starting this season, Academy Division teams are grouped from August 1 to July 31, so your athlete plays with his classmates (MLS NEXT).
High school soccer is allowed. Academy players can play for their high school and their club, and the regular season is built around the high school calendar.
Many Homegrown Division clubs also enter their second team in the Academy Division, so the same club can have teams in both.
What Is the Pro Player Pathway?
After U14, there is a split in the pathway: Pro MLS Clubs typically don’t field a U15 team, but the rest of the clubs do.
The pro MLS clubs jump right to U16 – and they separate themselves from the rest of the clubs in MLS Next when they do so. Homegrown and Academy leagues keep on going, but those pro team academies are not part of the leagues – they are still in the tournaments though (like GA Cup, MLS Fest, and MLS Flex).
Homegrown vs. Academy: the differences that matter
Here's what I'd want every parent to understand:
Pro pipeline. Homegrown clubs have a direct connection to professional organizations. Academy clubs don't, but that doesn't mean pro scouts aren't watching Academy teams at national events.
College exposure. Both divisions play in front of the same audiences at MLS NEXT Fest and the Cup qualifiers. Academy players have just as much chance to be seen by college coaches. If college is the goal, our College Pathway program helps players plan for those showcases, and our recruiting timeline by grade level shows when to do what.
High school soccer. Allowed in the Academy Division. In the Homegrown Division, only with an approved waiver. If this is the deciding factor for your family, read whether high school soccer is enough to play in college.
Age groups. Homegrown uses birth year. Academy uses school year. A player born in the fall can land in a different age group depending on the division.
Level of competition. Homegrown is still the higher level by design, but the gap has narrowed, and standout Academy players are regularly recruited up.
What the 2026-27 season looks like at MLS NEXT Fest
MLS NEXT Fest runs December 2–13, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona, with about 1,600 teams and 32,000 players across both divisions (Inside World Football). That means more coaches, more scouts and more eyes on more players than ever before.
If your athlete is in the Academy Division and playing well, he is being evaluated. The showcase floor is the same for both divisions.
Can players and clubs move from Academy to Homegrown?
Yes, both happen.
Clubs. Promotion moves a whole club, all of its age groups, up to the Homegrown Division. In March 2026, MLS NEXT promoted five Academy Division clubs for 2026-27: Club Ohio Soccer, Coppermine SC, One FC, SGA and Sporting City, citing their performance on and off the field (MLS NEXT). There is no set formula for promotion, so don't count on a club moving up on a set timeline.
Players. Standout Academy Division players get noticed at showcases and national events, and Homegrown Division clubs recruit them. It happens regularly.
The division your athlete starts in doesn't set the ceiling on where he can go. Consistent performance in a visible environment does.
Frequently Asked Questions About MLS NEXT
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In competition level and closeness to the pro game, yes. Homegrown is the higher tier. Whether it's better for your athlete depends on where he is in his development and what his goals are. A player focused on college at a strong Academy club can get as much visibility as a Homegrown player at a weaker club.
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Yes. Both divisions play at the same national showcases, where college coaches recruit. The division matters less than how your athlete performs in front of those coaches.
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In the Academy Division, yes. In the Homegrown Division, players are expected to skip high school soccer for 2026-27 unless they receive a waiver, which needs signatures from the principal, the club's academy director and a parent.
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No. From 2026-27, the Homegrown Division uses birth-year age groups (January 1 to December 31) and the Academy Division uses school-year age groups (August 1 to July 31).
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About 53,000 players on 2,743 teams at more than 300 clubs across both divisions, including all 30 MLS academies.
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The league's biggest showcase. In 2026 it runs December 2–13 in Mesa, Arizona, with about 1,600 teams from both divisions playing in front of pro, national team and college scouts.
Need help choosing the right club?
The right club decision isn't only about the division. It's about finding the environment that matches where your athlete is right now and where he's trying to go. Our guide on how to evaluate a soccer club as a parent is a good place to start.
If you'd like to talk it through with a former pro, book an intro session.
