Will playing in the OPL affect my NCAA eligibility?

The league's 2026 Operations Manual (Appendix F) puts the responsibility on you and your club:

• Teams that register players who also play for, or intend to attend, NCAA schools must be familiar with the NCAA Eligibility Center's current "Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete", which covers initial eligibility, academics, amateurism and recruiting (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Student_Resources/CBSA.pdf).
• Licence holders and players who attend or intend to attend NCAA schools are ultimately responsible for making sure that taking part in official OPL competition does not affect NCAA eligibility.
• The OPL accepts no responsibility for any eligibility issues that arise from OPL participation.

The manual does not set out any rules about U SPORTS eligibility.

How you are classed in the OPL is set out in the manual: an amateur player is one who registers largely or entirely without expectation of financial remuneration. An amateur may sign a supplemental amateur contract with the club setting out any remuneration and may be reimbursed for certain direct expenses, as allowed by FIFA and Canada Soccer regulations. A professional player is one paid at no less than the minimum annual salary in Ontario Soccer's Standards for High Performance Senior Leagues.