By Delorean Fleetwood
Amarillo, TX: The Amarillo Bombers pulled off one of the biggest upsets seen in some time when they defeated the Cleveland Crunch at the Wolstein Center in April to clinch their first championship last season. Now, they will highlight a new conference were they are the only returning team from last season.
The MLIS will feature 13 teams across two conferences, North and South. In this preview, we will cover the South Conference highlighted by the defending MLIS Champions, the Amarillo Bombers.
AMARILLO BOMBERS
We can’t have a preview of the South Conference without starting off with the defending MLIS Champions. The Bombers had never made a league final prior to last season and as a former M2 squad, had been close a handful of times, so playoff experience was nothing new for them.
In the Texas Panhandle, the city of Amarillo is a tight knit community where sports teams at the Civic Center are well supported no matter the occasion or sport. From hockey and arena football to indoor soccer, the Civic Center is THE game in town if you live in Amarillo Texas.
Amarillo will try and build off a 10-2 season that saw them outscore their opponents 125 to 70 for a goal differential of plus 55. Their two losses came at the hands of Chicago and the recently departed Omaha Kings. Both losses were by a combined three goals. With five new expansion sides making up the South Conference along with them, Amarillo has a chance to go undefeated and build off last years success. Look for Amarillo to run the band back at the Civic Center this season. The Bombers will begin with their title defense against Boulder United FC Halo at the Civic Center, December 21st. Just in time for Santa to take in a contest right before Christmas.
BOULDER UNITED FC HALO
With the Colorado Bucks deciding to not return, the Centennial State will roll out Boulder United FC Halo to compete in the South Conference this season. Halo will pick up where the Bucks left off by playing their games at Foothills Fieldhouse in Littleton, Colorado, 12 miles southwest of downtown Denver, ensuring the region doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to indoor soccer.
Halo has a chance to make impact on a growing soccer community thats likely to only get better. With the Denver Summit set to kick off next year, the region is ripe for growth. The Bucks nearly made the playoffs last season, but Boulder has as good of a chance as any in the wide open South Conference.
Halo will kickoff its inagural season December 13th at Foothills Fieldhouse in Littleton against Atletico Pro Orlando.
ATLETICO PRO ORLANDO
After a previous attempt to a team going in Orlando feel through, Atletico Orlando provides the chance MLIS is finally looking for to establish the league in Sunshine State. Florida is a huge soccer hotbed that needs no introduction. From Orlando City establishing themselves in their rise to MLS to the heyday of the Rowdies and Fort Lauderdale Strikers (Striker Likers anyone?), Florida has something for you soccer craving no matter the team, region, or facility.
Atletico Pro will play its matches at Sofive Lake Nona XL Soccer World, a short drive from the airport and 20 miles southeast of downtown Orlando, Florida. Look for Atletico to establish their dominance early on this upcoming MLIS season.
Orlando kicks off its inagural season where they will host the Utah Uprising on November 15th at Sofive Lake Nona.
UTAH UPRISING
Salt Lake City, Utah is arguably one of the most undeserved and untapped sports markets in the country. That has begun to change with the Utah Mammoth and the ever growing news of MLB expansion to the city. Even with the Grizzlies relocating to New Jersey in the near future, the trend of growth of sports in the SLC market continues with the addition of the Salt Lake City based Utah Uprising.
While the area doesn’t have the deepest history with the game of indoor soccer, this is a city that loudly gets behind whatever team they support (similar to my hometown of Portland).
The Uprising have a chance to make their mark right away by competing in the wild open South Conference this season. Those that know soccer know Real Salt Lake is one of the premier franchises in Major League Soccer with an MLS Cup in 2008 to boot. So the region isn’t unfamiliar with the beautiful game. Salt Lake City is also one of the best places for families as numerous new residents are flocking from all places to live here. Utah is becoming one of THE places to be. The Uprising name is fitting.
Utah should be one of the favorites to make the playoffs out of the South Conference this season. Look for the Uprising to challenge Amarillo for the South.
Utah will kick off its inagural campaign on November 15th as they travel to Orlando to take on Atletico Pro in Lake Nona.
DALLAS CD LA CUADRA
With both MASL teams in Texas not participating this upcoming season, MLIS has a chance to capture the Lone Star State with the addition of Dallas CD La Cuadra. La Cuadra will play its home matches at TOCA Soccer in Carrollton, Texas. Just 19 miles northwest of downtown Dallas and right next to the A Train stop at Trinity Mills (the A train goes north to Denton).
La Cuadra will have its work cut out for them when they take the field against the other squads in the South Conference. Dallas will open its season against the Utah Uprising on December 6th in Carrollton at Toca Soccer.
LAS VEGAS TURF MONSTERS
Las Vegas has become a bastion for pro sports in recent years make no mistake of that. From the Golden Knights Stanley Cup in 2023 to the Aces winning three WNBA Finals in four years (2022, 2023 and 2025) and even the UNLV Skatin Rebels winning the ACHA National Championship this past season, Vegas, much like Utah has become recently, is becoming a hotbed for sports. But did you know the first World Championship in Vegas history came from arena soccer?
Its true. The Continental Indoor Soccer League’s Las Vegas Dust Devils won the CISL Championship back in 1994 defeating the defending champion Dallas Sidekicks two games to one. This remained the city’s lone professional sports title until the Aces won in 2022, 28 years after the Dust Devils won.
With the Turf Monsters taking the pitch in 2025-26, then have a chance to begin a legacy that started more than 30 years ago. But, it won’t be easy, as Amarillo, Utah, and even Orlando will look to stop the Monsters in their tracks.
UPDATE: AS OF NOVEMBER 15TH 2025, THE LAS VEGAS TURF MONSTERS HAVE STILL NOT ANNOUNCED A HOME VENUE FOR THE 2025-26 MLIS SEASON. THIS WILL BE UPDATED WHEN A HOME VENUE HAS BEEN CHOSEN.
The Turf Monsters will officially kick off their inagural season on Sunday November 30th when they take on the Utah Uprising in Draper at Sport City Utah.
WIDE OPEN
Outside of Amarillo, the South Conference is wide open as the other five squads are all expansion teams looking to put together their inagural season for the 25-26 MLIS campaign. As to who is the prime challenger is anyone’s guess. Development and coaching ultimately come into play. Texas now has two squads while Colorado still has a team playing in the Denver metro. Las Vegas and Salt Lake City provide arguably the best new markets and opportunities of the bunch. Its open season!
PREDICTIONS
With a wide open South Conference there bound to be some surprising events that are about to unfold.
Here are my predictions for the 2025-26 MLIS South Conference.
- Amarillo Bombers
- Utah Uprising
- Atletico Pro Orlando
- Las Vegas Turf Monsters
- Dallas CD La Cuadra
- Boulder United FC Halo
Good luck to all the South Conference teams in 2025-26 and may the best team win.
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