The Midwest Premier League (MWPL) made a big announcement this week that is great news for local soccer fans. As part of the league's 2030 Plan for growth and expansion, the MWPL will launch the new two-tier Heartland Conference in 2024. And DKCU Men has been selected as one of the founding members of the conference's first division!
The MWPL placed clubs into the divisions based on past performance and results within the league over time.
Having a local club play at the Division 1 level will provide high-quality soccer during the summer months for fans to enjoy. The team will face regional rivals such as 9-time national champ Bavarian United SC, 2-time national champ RWB Adria, and reigning Illinois State Cup champ Czarni Jaslo in the top flight, creating local derbies that we are already looking forward to.
As part of the conference launch, each division will play a balanced schedule of home and road matches against division opponents. This format will make for exciting divisional races towards the end of the season. DKCU will also play in the Illinois State Cup, pitting them against teams from different levels of American soccer.
We are thrilled we will have Division 1 soccer here this summer with the debut of DKCU in the MWPL Heartland Conference's top division. Be sure to come out to the matches at NIU and support our local club! With talented players and experienced coaches, we believe DKCU can succeed right away and challenge for the title right from kick-off.
