After an offseason full of amateur clubs departing the NPSL for other leagues, Denton Diablos announced today that the team would be making the leap to join USL League Two.

Damon Gochneaur, co-owner of the club, spoke yesterday evening with Protagonist Soccer regarding the move’s announcement and why this year was the right one for the move. “After five successful seasons in the NPSL, every offseason as an organization we ask ourselves the question ‘are we in the right place doing the right thing, accomplishing our mission and vision as a club?’ After this year, it was more obvious than ever, that there were more opportunities in other leagues that were worth exploring.” Damon continued, “We explored opportunities in multiple leagues, including the NPSL, and found that USL League Two provided the best opportunity for our club to achieve its mission and vision, both in the short-term and long-term.”

*Photo credit: Daniel McCullough and Denton Diablos*

In the club’s five-year run in the NPSL, the team has been a consistent playoff contender, including a league championship in 2021. Gochneaur was quick to double down on his expectations of his team in a new league. “Regardless of the arena we enter, our club was founded on the premise of setting our goals in the loftiest ways possible. As audacious as it sounds, internally we’re completely committed to being the first club in the history of US Soccer to achieve a national championship in the NPSL and USL League Two.”

The team has been preparing for this move during the offseason and Gochneaur is confident his team will be a contender from day one. “We’ve had the most successful and fruitful offseason in the history of the club.” Part of that preparation included the video package produced by the club for the announcement and a makeover to the club shop. All of that was done by local talent from Denton and Damon was thrilled to be able to incorporate hometown creators in the announcement.

Questions continue to swirl around the NPSL and what the departure of so many important clubs (and former champions) means for the league’s viability in the future. But Denton is headed to what it considers greener pastures in USL League Two.

- Dan Vaughn