Kerala Govt Kicks Off Football Super League At College Level, Volley Ball Next

At a time when there is a big question mark on the future of football in India and Indian Super League (ISL), Kerala government is laying the ground for a Sports League for colleges in the state. Modelled on the lines of popular collegiate sports leagues in the U.S., specific league competitions will be held for football and volleyball to start with. The first season of College Sports League-Kerala (CSL – K), organised by the Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs and Sports Kerala Foundation will start from July 18, 2025 at Calicut University. “It has come to our notice that students tend to move away from sports after passing out from school,” according to Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman. Through CSL-K, Kerala aims to develop a competitive and interesting sports environment in colleges, he said. “We have constituted specific sports councils in almost all colleges, which will take charge of conducting the league in their campuses, he added. The inaugural season’s events will kick off with football league from July 18 to 26, featuring 60 teams from all UGC approved colleges in the state. From next year, the organisers plan to expand the league into a three-tier event. The preliminary screening will involve 168 district-level leagues from 14 districts. This will be followed by 48 matches in zonal level league featuring district champs and wild card entries. Finally, there will be a state-level league with knockout rounds leading to the grand finale to crown the champion College. The volleyball league will take place on the MG University campus next month. The project is being implemented with a seed capital of Rs 60 lakh.  The league is expected to be self-sufficient financially in the coming years with sponsors like Decathlon and local banks.  Students will be encouraged to participate via incentives like stipends, performance bonuses and scholarships.