York United announced a major expansion of its Academy program on Monday.

Beginning in 2026, the Nine Stripes will field two official teams in League1 Ontario: a U21 side and a newly formed U19 squad. The U21 team, evolving from the current U20 setup, will continue competing in the Championship, the league’s second tier, while the new U19 squad will play in the third tier of Ontario's semi-pro structure.

In late 2024, York became the only Canadian Premier League club to operate a fully funded, internally managed Academy program.

The project’s impact is already clear: Nine players from the inaugural roster trained with the first team, three earned spots in matchday squads, and two — Joshua Lopez and Anthony Umanzor — made their official Canadian Premier League debuts.

The Academy’s influence extends beyond first-team appearances. Lopez was invited to train with Uruguay's U20 scouting group, Umanzor attended youth national team camps for both Guatemala and El Salvador, David Chhoeun joined a U23 camp with Cambodia, and Yaatahv Lakshman helped Tamil Eelam win the 2025 CONIFA Asia Cup.

Opportunities also came for staff: coach Marco Bonofiglio joined the Guyana Men’s National Team as an assistant coach after leading their U17 squad.