ECNL has three levels now?

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They added the tiered playoffs because the top teams don't want to waste their money traveling to play teams like FCPDX and CU.
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And who knows? Maybe Division I College Coaches will decide that watching second-tier matches is likewise a waste of their time.

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And who knows? Maybe Division I College Coaches will decide that watching second-tier matches is likewise a waste of their time.

They long ago decided that watching teams at Beaverton Cup was a huge waste of time, right Thorns Academy????

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I can't speak for the OP but I will interject....

We need multiple levels of play at the local level that way more players are playing by similar abilities.

ECNL is "Elite" which means the top players.

What people are trying to say is that the ECNL isn't Elite anymore. Don't get me wrong, there are a dozen Elite teams but 75% of the teams are glorified Premier teams.

They added the tiered playoffs because the top teams don't want to waste their money traveling to play teams like FCPDX and CU.

Next year they will be adding a second division in league play

That is the same thing I would say. Plus the tiers in local leagues and cups does not require significant additional financial cost. Worst case there's a trip between Portland and Medford.
In regards to ECNL the focus should be on competition and trying to beat the best. Not playing for juice boxes.
We are with an ECNL club and my position is that if we can't compete with the other teams then we don't deserve to go to the playoffs. Don't try to make nice and let everybody have a trophy and marginalize those who earn the championships as well as those who are playing to strive to make it there.