League1 BC joins League1 Ontario as second Division III Pro-Am Men’s & Women’s League owned and operated by CSB
Toronto, ON – (December 1, 2023) – Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) today announced the acquisition of League1 BC from BC Soccer, effective immediately.
The launch of League1 BC, a Division III Pro-Am men’s and women’s League in British Columbia, was announced in October 2021. It contested its first season in 2022. League1 BC serves as a stepping stone between the youth ranks and the professional game for players in British Columbia and across Canada, with a focus on developing the country’s next generation of soccer stars.
As part of the acquisition, CSB will now oversee the daily management of League1 BC.
League1 BC becomes the second Division III Pro-Am league owned and operated by CSB, following its acquisition of League1 Ontario from Ontario Soccer in November 2018. Under CSB’s leadership, League1 Ontario has grown from 30 teams in 2018 to 157 teams in 2023, with 21 Men’s Premier Division teams and 19 Women’s Premier Division teams, which currently represents the highest level of women’s soccer in Canada, complimented by a robust reserve league competition structure. Over League1 Ontario’s history, more than 200 players from the Men’s and Women’s Premier Divisions combined have gone on to sign professional deals, spanning more than 100 leagues worldwide. More than a dozen alumni of both League1 Ontario’s men’s and women’s divisions have participated in Canada’s Men’s and Women’s National Team environments.
“The Division III Pro-Am level is a key part of the pathway to the professional game in Canada, and we are grateful to BC Soccer for the work that went into making this acquisition a reality,” said Mark Noonan, CEO, Canadian Soccer Business.
“We are proud of the growth we have seen in League1 Ontario since 2019 and we are confident League1 BC will see similar success in the coming years. As we focus on playing our part in building a thriving soccer ecosystem in Canada, it is imperative that we commit ideas and resources to developing players from the grassroots through to the semi-pro level and on to the professional game. We are pleased to be taking the next step in doing just that with League1 BC.”
League1 BC will remain part of League1 Canada, a national alliance launched in March 2022 by CSB in partnership with BC Soccer, Soccer Québec and Ontario Soccer with an aim to unify and elevate soccer at the Pro-am level in Canada. The League1 BC Women’s Champion will continue to compete in the League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championships, and the League1 BC Men’s champion will continue to earn a place in the Canadian Championship.
“We are proud to have developed and introduced League1 BC into the soccer landscape of British Columbia and Canada,” said Jason Elligott, Executive Director, BC Soccer. “Introducing this level of play helped fill a gap in the pathway. We are thankful for the support CSB provided BC Soccer as the league was introduced and we will continue to be here to support the league as the operations shift out of the BC Soccer offices.”
