It’s that time of year again; the mornings are getting colder, the school buses are firing up, and Minnesota United’s Academy players are back at the NSC to prepare for another new season. The 2025-26 MLS NEXT season starts tomorrow, and that means it’s time for a quick Academy refresher to make sure you know what you’re looking at when you see all the scores this year. Let’s take a quick look at what the U15s, U16s, and U18s will be facing in the season ahead.
Season Structure
Across MLS NEXT, the regular season is split between two different competitions: MLS NEXT Flex and League play. Teams can qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs via either of these avenues, with the main difference between the two being that Flex competition integrates local, high-level clubs into the mix, while League competition is only played between MLS academies.
The regular season stretches across two distinct seasons, beginning in the fall and wrapping up in the spring. After starting tomorrow, all three teams will play until late November before taking a nearly three-month break during the start of winter. They’ll return to regular season play in late February, finishing in mid-May.
Throughout the year, several notable tournaments provide the lads with opportunities to experience high-stakes environments against teams not only from across the continent but across the world. The Generation adidas Cup — known simply as GA Cup — stands out as perhaps the most exciting tournament experience on the calendar, with MNUFC Academy teams facing off against the likes of Manchester United, Leicester City, and several more international teams from a variety of nations.
Beyond GA Cup, the Boys in Black and Blue have also competed in MLS NEXT Flex Fest in the past, offering teams another avenue to qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs. All roads point toward that coveted MLS NEXT Cup trophy, and your Loons are making strides toward it.
What We’re Building On
Dedicated readers will remember that we covered last season’s results in our 2024-25 season review, but let’s rehash it again here anyway. The U15s qualified for the playoffs last season after finishing second in both League and Flex play. They established themselves as one of the top teams in the region under the leadership of Head Coach Amin Qasim, and while many players will be moving up in the ranks this season, a strong core remains, hungry and prepared to take yet another step in the right direction.
The U16s shined in Flex play last season, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. Head Coach Jamie Carroll-Rolfe and his squad will be looking to take that strong Flex form into the new season. At the top of the age range, Head Coach Alex Morawiecki’s U18 squad comes into the 2025-26 season after a summer of valuable experience, with many players spending time training and getting meaningful minutes with MNUFC2 in MLS NEXT Pro.
With the new squads set and the schedules nailed down, all three of the Loons’ Academy sides are primed and ready for another year of growth. The action kicks off at the NSC tomorrow, with three games against Sockers FC Chicago. Check back here early next week to hear how the boys do, and be sure to keep tabs on the future of Minnesota United soccer all season long.
