The Midwest Premier League is proud to welcome Great Plains Football Club to the league ahead of the 2026 season.
Formerly known as Olathe United FC, the Kansas-based club enters the next chapter of its competitive journey with both a new name and a proven track record of success.
“We are excited to announce the next chapter in our club’s soccer journey,” said club owner Todd Esh. “Joining the Midwest Premier League will present new challenges that we look forward to undertaking. It represents a step up in the US Soccer pyramid and, as a club, that has always been our goal — to continually test ourselves against the best teams here in the Midwest.”
Alongside the move to the MWPL, the club will compete under a new identity: Great Plains Football Club. The name reflects both geography and mentality, while maintaining continuity through its crest and symbolism.
“Our new name better represents who we are as a club,” Esh explained. “Great Plains because we are from Kansas. A bison because bison are fast, agile, and one of the few animals that run toward a storm head-on. They show no fear, and that is how our club faces every opponent. How we play this beautiful game will not change.”
Great Plains FC arrives in the Midwest Premier League following a highly successful run in The Select League, where the club quickly established itself as a contender. Formed in 2024, the team finished third out of ten clubs in its inaugural season. The following year, Great Plains FC delivered a perfect campaign, going undefeated across all competitions (21 matches) while capturing both the league title and the Kansas State Cup.
“We are grateful to The Select League for giving us a place to prove ourselves over the past two seasons,” Esh said. “The experiences and lessons learned have prepared us well for this next step.”
As the club prepares for its Midwest Premier League debut, Great Plains FC is also focused on expanding its reach beyond Kansas.
“We want to thank our fans for all their support, and we look forward to growing our fan base across the Midwest,” Esh added. “Fan support is important, and this is one area we really want to work on improving.”
The club also expressed appreciation for its partners, acknowledging the importance of strong sponsorship relationships as it continues to climb the competitive ladder.
“Lastly, we want to thank our sponsor, Mail Point, for their support during the 2025 season,” said Esh. “Sponsor support is crucial to our success as we look to solidify our position in the US Soccer pyramid.”
The Midwest Premier League is excited to add Great Plains FC to its growing footprint and looks forward to welcoming the bison into competition in 2026.
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The Midwest Premier League is an American regional soccer league run by its member clubs. The goals of the league are to focus on sustainability, the promotion of high-level competition between clubs, and the support of all of its members through the sharing of ideas and best practices. The league’s 2025 season involved 44 clubs from 7 different states, including a promotion-relegation system in the Heartland Conference.
Interested clubs can follow this link for more information.