USL Championship

The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) as its premier league for men above USL League One. Operating under a franchise model, 24 teams divided between the league's Eastern and Western conferences compete in an annual round-robin regular season, lasting from spring to fall. At the end of the season, the top team overall wins the Players' Shield, while the top eight teams in each conference advance to a playoff tournament culminating in the USL Championship final, which determines the champion. The league's teams also simultaneously compete in the U.S. Open Cup and USL Cup.
Playing its first season in 2011 as USL Pro, and later the USL, the league formed from the merger of the USL's preceding two pro leagues, after a number of clubs broke away to found the North American Soccer League. It was initially sanctioned by U.S. Soccer as a third-tier league, but was later promoted to the second tier in 2017. Reserve teams of Major League Soccer (MLS) franchises also competed in the league from 2014 to the advent of MLS Next Pro in 2022. The Championship adopted its current name following the re-establishment of a second pro league in 2019. A third pro league, tentatively named USL Division One, is currently being planned to supersede the Championship as the USL's premier league.
As of the 2024 season, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC are the current champions, while Louisville City FC and Orlando City SC have won the most championships each (2). The current Players' Shield holders are Louisville City FC, while Orlando City SC have won the most Players' Shields (3). Three former USL Championship teams – Orlando City SC, FC Cincinnati, and Nashville SC – are now MLS franchises.
Although it was leaked by the Dayton Dutch Lions weeks prior, the USL announced the merger of its First and Second Division into the D3-sanctioned USL Pro in a September 2010 press release. The Lions, then a Premier Development League (PDL) team, joined the new league alongside the five remaining Second Division clubs; the Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Harrisburg City Islanders, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Richmond Kickers; and a reactivated Wilmington Hammerheads, who last played in the Second Division. The lone surviving First Division club, Austin Aztex FC, joined after they relocated to Orlando, Florida and became Orlando City SC. The Rochester Rhinos returned to the USL to join, after aborting their plan to join the NASL.
USL President Tim Holt initially hoped to launch USL Pro with 14–20 teams across four conferences. He projected a growth to 22–26 teams by 2013, and 28–32 teams by 2015. Two of these conferences were to be a "Caribbean" and "Western" division – the league added the Puerto Rico Soccer League's (PRSL) Puerto Rico United, River Plate Puerto Rico, and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico; and the Antigua Barracuda and Los Angeles Blues; as expansion teams to serve as "building blocks" for these divisions. For the inaugural 2011 season, these five clubs were grouped in a "International" division, while the nine existing USL clubs with another expansion team, F.C. New York, were divided into the "American" and "National" divisions.
The league's first match took place on April 2, 2011 at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia, where the Kickers defeated Orlando City and Stanley Nyazamba scored the league's first goal. The season initially adopted a schedule where all American and National teams played as a de facto single division, occasionally playing against International teams. However, financial issues plagued the three PRSL clubs, leading to their expulsion five weeks into the season. The International division was abolished, and the Barracuda and Blues moved to the American and National divisions, respectively. The remaining twelve teams completed their 24-game season, and the ensuing playoffs saw Orlando City be crowned the inaugural champions in a penalty shootout against the Islanders. F.C. New York, also weighed by financial issues, departed for the National Premier Soccer League at the end of the season. The American and National divisions were abolished and replaced by a single eleven-team table in the 2012 season, which was won by the Battery after defeating the Hammerheads in the Championship game.
In the 2013 season, affiliations with Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs began as part of a partnership that was billed by MLS executive Todd Durbin as an improvement of "player development, competition and the overall business of our sport." Phoenix FC and VSI Tampa Bay FC entered the league, though both would exit with the Barracuda at the season's end – Phoenix FC had their franchise rights revoked for allegedly committing accounting fraud and wage theft, while the Barracuda and Tampa Bay folded due to financial troubles. The Barracuda's final season was one of only six in the history of soccer to be completed without a win or draw. Phoenix FC's franchise rights were awarded to Arizona United SC, who began play the following season. Orlando City's victory over the Eagles in the Championship game, their second USL Pro title in three years, was seen as crucial in the club's successful bid to enter the MLS.
Choosing not to affiliate with a USL club, the LA Galaxy founded a reserve team within their ownership known as LA Galaxy II, which entered the USL Pro in the 2014 season alongside Arizona United, Oklahoma City Energy FC, and Sacramento Republic FC. The Los Angeles Blues rebranded as Orange County Blues FC. The Republic would conclude their inaugural season having won the Championship game against the Islanders, and nearly doubling the league's average attendance record. The Eagles and Lions exited for the PDL, while Orlando City became the fifth USL club to gain promotion to the MLS. Upon their exit, the Eagles and Orlando City sold their franchise rights to the Charlotte Independence and Louisville City FC respectively, who began play in the 2015 season of the rechristened USL (dropping "Pro" from its name), alongside Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Saint Louis FC, and the Tusla Roughnecks. A reincarnated Austin Aztex also joined, but folded after the season due to financial troubles incurred from a historic flood that damaged their home ground.
Inspired by the LA Galaxy, seven MLS clubs also fielded club-owned reserve teams into the USL's 2015 season, amid the demise of the MLS Reserve League. The eleven expansion teams nearly doubled the number of teams in the USL from 13 to 24, necessitating the reintroduction of conferences – the "Eastern" and "Western" conferences – in which teams would play 22 intraconference and six interconference games during the regular season. The unprecedented growth inspired the USL to challenge the NASL's D2 sanctioning, applying to U.S. Soccer for D2 sanctioning in early 2015. The Rhinos, led by head coach Bob Lilley, broke all-time USL records for shutouts (17) and fewest goals allowed (15) on their way to their historic fourth and final USL title, defeating the LA Galaxy II in the Championship game.
Three more MLS reserve teams entered in the 2016 season, alongside San Antonio FC, MLS expansion bidders FC Cincinnati, and Rio Grande Valley FC – a "hybrid" club with independent ownership, but an on-field product managed by the MLS's Houston Dynamo FC. Cincinnati's inaugural season at Nippert Stadium yielded three USL records for single-match attendance – the highest being 24,376 for a September 17 match against Orlando City B. The New York Red Bulls II became the first MLS reserve team to win a USL title following their victory over another reserve team, the Swope Park Rangers, in the Championship game. At the season's end, the Hammerheads left for the PDL, despite media reports claiming a move to Baltimore was being prepared.
In its 2017 season, the USL welcomed the Ottawa Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies – two NASL clubs seeking to arrest financial losses incurred while playing in the league. Their exit from the NASL triggered a revocation of the NASL's D2 status, as its membership fell below the twelve required. As an interim solution, U.S. Soccer awarded a provisional D2 status to both the NASL and USL. Reno 1868 FC also joined, while the Montreal Impact folded their reserve team for an affiliation with the Fury. Arizona United SC rebranded as Phoenix Rising FC, following its sale to an ownership group that included Didier Drogba, who subsequently signed for the club. Louisville City won two consecutive championships, defeating the Rangers in the 2017 USL Cup final, and the Rising in the 2018 final, which was Drogba's final professional game. At the end of the 2017 season, the Rhinos entered a hiatus in an attempt to shore up new investors, while Orlando City withdrew their reserve team due to a lack of players and staff.
Ahead of the 2018 season, U.S. Soccer revoked the NASL's provisional D2 status, and granted full D2 status to the USL. The NASL's motion for a preliminary injunction against the decision was denied, leading to the league's collapse and its surviving clubs scattering. Two of them, Indy Eleven and North Carolina FC, joined the USL alongside Fresno FC, Las Vegas Lights FC, and MLS expansion bidders Nashville SC. A fifth NASL club that applied to join, San Diego 1904 FC, were denied entry as concerns arose over its ownership, home ground, and lack of local investment. Atlanta United entered their reserve team, while the Vancouver Whitecaps folded theirs for an affiliation with Fresno. The Islanders rebranded as Penn FC. Having won their bid to enter the MLS, Cincinnati's final season in the USL set the league's records for total attendance (437,197), and average attendance (25,717). Their final home game, a September 29 match against the Eleven, also set the single-match attendance record (31,478).
Four teams left the USL top flight after the 2018 season. The ownership group of FC Cincinnati was awarded an MLS franchise that started play under the FC Cincinnati name in 2019. Penn FC, the Richmond Kickers, and Toronto FC II voluntarily dropped to USL League One, a new third-level league that United Soccer Leagues launched in 2019. The Kickers and Toronto FC II began League One play in 2019; Penn FC suspended professional operations for 2019 and announced that it would resume play in League One in 2020, but it never did. In addition, the announced hiatuses for both the Rhinos and Orlando City B became permanent departures. The Rhinos originally announced they would extend their hiatus through 2019 before resuming play in League One in 2020, but ended up not resuming play until 2022, by which time the club had changed its name to Rochester New York FC and joined the new third-level MLS Next Pro. Orlando City B resumed play in 2019 in League One.
The league also approved several other expansion locations in Austin, Birmingham, Memphis, Chicago, Oakland East Bay, Hartford, Albuquerque, El Paso, Loudoun County, Virginia, and San Diego. All of these teams began play in 2019 except for San Diego, which began play in the 2020 season; Chicago and East Bay were both announced to launch by 2021, but were indefinitely put on hold when they had issues in securing stadium plans.
Following the end of the 2019 season, three teams left the USL Championship. Nashville SC was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise, Fresno FC announced that they would not be returning to Fresno, and Ottawa Fury FC announced that they would be suspending operations after not receiving sanctioning to remain in USL by CONCACAF and U.S. Soccer. An expansion team was announced for the New York City borough of Queens to be named Queensboro FC. On December 11, the Ottawa Fury announced the sale of its franchise rights to the ownership group of Miami FC, with Miami set to participate in the 2020 USL Championship season. This marked the entrance of another former NASL team into the league, with Miami having previously spent time in NPSL and the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) after the NASL folded.
Saint Louis FC folded at the end of the 2020 season. At the time, the city was set to receive an MLS franchise, with St. Louis City SC ultimately starting play in 2023. A spokesperson for SLFC told Sports Illustrated in August 2020, "The ownership decided that with the financial impact of COVID-19 and MLS on the horizon, it didn't make sense to continue operations." Also at the end of the 2020 season, two MLS clubs, the Philadelphia Union and Portland Timbers, withdrew their reserve sides, Philadelphia Union II and Portland Timbers 2, from the United Soccer League system.
The proposed East Bay club's bid had faltered due to stadium issues and its USL franchise rights were purchased by Oakland Roots SC, which had previously played in NISA, who started play in the USLC in the 2021 season.
On November 6, 2020, Reno 1868 FC announced it was ceasing operations as a result of the financial and operational impacts of COVID-19. On January 10, 2021, North Carolina FC club chairman Stephen Malik announced that the club would make a "strategic move" to USL League One.
On February 1, 2021, Monterey Bay FC, which is a continuation of USLC's Fresno FC, joined the USL Championship since Beshoff, the owner of Fresno, was able to retain franchise rights after Fresno ceased operations due to lack of securing construction of a soccer-specific stadium, and landed the franchise in Monterey Bay at Cardinale Stadium on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay in Seaside, California. On November 13, 2021, it was announced that Detroit City would join the USL Championship for the 2022 USL Championship season, becoming the third NISA team to join the league after Miami FC and Oakland Roots SC. On December 2, 2021, Charlotte Independence decided to drop down to the third tier USL League One for 2022, with the goal of better serving its youth players, as well as the fact that a new expansion franchise in the city Charlotte FC was joining Major League Soccer that season, with whom several Independence players had signed for.
On December 3, 2021, Oklahoma City Energy FC announced that it would temporarily suspend soccer operations and would not compete in the 2022 USL Championship season. The decision came after Energy FC's home field at Taft Stadium, which is owned and operated by the Oklahoma City Public Schools, would undergo major renovations that directly overlap with the 2022 USL Championship season and will resume play for the 2023 USL Championship season in its temporary home at Taft Stadium. This came after OKC Energy FC reached an historic agreement only roughly a month earlier renewing their lease with the school district for Taft Stadium. After OKC announced that they would impose another hiatus for the 2023 USL Championship season, they have since come out with a new majority ownership group, Echo Investment Capital that would build a stadium in Bricktown with part of the money reserved from the city's MAPS 4 penny tax initiative, with plans to return for the 2027 USL Championship season.
On December 6, 2021, Major League Soccer announced MLS Next Pro, a Division III league that would begin play in 2022. The MLS–USL partnership that started in 2014 came to an end: all MLS clubs with reserve teams in USL Championship or USL League One would be moving their affiliated teams to MLS Next Pro by 2023, with the exception of Loudoun United FC (although under different ownership). On December 10, 2021, the USL Championship approved a new ownership group for USL Championship club Austin Bold FC. The new ownership group consists of Donnie Nelson, Neil Leibman, and Bobby Epstein. The team has not participated since the 2021 USL Championship season as it actively seeks relocation to another city in Texas.
On January 27, 2022, the USL officially awarded USL Pro Iowa an expansion team to be based in Des Moines, Iowa, that would join the league in the 2024 season. The team's majority owner is Kyle Krause, who has been the majority owner of USL League Two side Des Moines Menace since 1998. On July 14, 2022, the USL announced a group that intended to bring USL Championship and Super League teams to New Orleans, Louisiana, with a goal for the Championship side to kick off by 2025.
On August 12, 2022, ground was broken in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Tidewater Landing Stadium that will be the permanent home of Rhode Island FC. The team began play in the 2024 season in Smithfield, Rhode Island, as the construction is completed in Pawtucket. On August 30, 2022, the USL announced that a group of investors had formed to bring USL Championship and USL Super League expansion teams to Jacksonville, Florida, with the goal for the Championship side to kick off in 2025. On October 19, 2022, the USL awarded an expansion team to USL Milwaukee, set to begin play in 2025 with plans to build an 8,000-seat stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
On July 12, 2023, the USL awarded an expansion team to a team that would later be called Ozark United FC with the intent to bring USL Championship and Super League teams to Rogers, Arkansas, with a goal for the Championship and Super League sides to kick off by 2026 and play in a new 5,000-seat stadium.
On August 7, 2023, North Carolina FC majority owner Steve Malik announced that the club would come back from USL League One to the USL Championship starting from the 2024 season.
On August 24, 2023, San Diego Loyal ownership announced that the team would shut down at the end of the season due to an inability to find a "viable near- and long-term stadium solution". and the USL announced that it would transfer the franchise rights of the Loyal. The announcement came three months after Major League Soccer announced a San Diego expansion team that would begin play in 2025 as San Diego FC. The club's final game was a 4–3 extra-time playoff quarterfinal loss to Phoenix Rising, the eventual playoff champions.
On November 29, 2023, it was announced that Milwaukee's expansion would be deferred to the 2026 season. On December 14, 2023, the USL awarded an expansion team to USL Palm Beach with the intent to bring USL Championship and Super League teams to Palm Beach County, Florida, with a goal for the Super League side to kick off by 2025.
On December 18, 2023, Rio Grande Valley FC Toros announced they were ceasing all soccer and business operations, officially ending their eight-year business partnership with USL.
On March 7, 2024, it was announced that Brooklyn FC, originally vying for a spot in League One, would instead move their efforts to try to get a team in the Championship by 2025, along with getting their women's side to play in the inaugural USL Super League season in 2024, both playing at Maimonides Park, the home also to baseball's Brooklyn Cyclones. This effort would be later pushed back to 2026.
In August 2024, the USL announced that Lexington SC would move from League One to the Championship in the 2025 season.
On November 13, 2024, the USL announced that Memphis 901 FC would cease operations, with their franchise rights being moved to Santa Barbara Sky FC. The Sky, initially planning to play in League One in 2025, will now begin play in the Championship starting with the 2026 season. Memphis's last game was their quarterfinal playoff loss to Orange County.
The following teams are going to play in the 2025 season.
Notes
‡ Puerto Rico clubs Puerto Rico United, River Plate Puerto Rico, and Sevilla Puerto Rico began play in the league, but in May 2011 United Soccer Leagues announced that the teams would not finish the season due to financial difficulties.
For the 2024 season, teams play a home-and-away schedule within their conference and an additional twelve games (six home and six away) against teams in the opposing conference for a 34-game schedule. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference will qualify for the playoffs. The USL Championship playoffs is a single-elimination tournament with a fixed bracket format, culminating in the USL Championship Final.
Fox Sports purchased the league's broadcasting rights for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and aired matches on its Fox Soccer channel, while the league livestreamed matches on its USL Live website. The USL has been partnered with ESPN since the 2016 season. The first iteration of the deal brought 20 matches to ESPN3 and the championship match to one of its linear networks, while all remaining matches were broadcast directly by the league on its YouTube channel.
Beginning with the launch of ESPN+ on April 12, 2018, all USL matches moved to the over-the-top service, with 18 games of the week and the championship continuing to air on one of ESPN's linear channels. The 2019 final will also air on ESPN Deportes. The deal with ESPN expired after the 2019 season, but was subsequently renewed for three additional seasons. Although the ESPN+ match streams are not blacked out in-market, individual clubs are also allowed to syndicate the USL-produced broadcast to local television stations.
The English-language commentary team for the USL Championship on ESPN has included Mike Watts and Devon Kerr since 2018. Watts and Kerr also host a weekly program, USL All-Access, on Sirius XM FC. Broadcasts on ESPN Deportes have been led by Jesús Eduardo Acosta and José Armando Rodriguez.
In August 2020, the USL announced their first international broadcast partner with Caribbean broadcaster Flow Sports.
In August 2021, the USL announced a new broadcast agreement with OneFootball in Italy.
The USL announced that four-year media deal with CBS Sports beginning with the 2024 season through 2027. On February 27, 2024, the USL also announced multi-year deal with ESPN as a second broadcast partner through 2026.
Teams that no longer participate in the USL Championship are in italics.
Updated to the end of the 2024 USL playoffs; sorted by major honors (championships).
FC Cincinnati played before a record crowd of 20,497 at Nippert Stadium on April 16, 2016, in a rivalry match against neighboring Louisville City FC. This broke the USL Pro's previous record for attendance at a regular-season match of 20,231 set by Sacramento Republic in its home debut on April 26, 2014, at Hughes Stadium. Cincinnati broke the record again on May 14, 2016, with a new all-time high of 23,375. Cincinnati broke the single game attendance record again on October 2, 2016, in their first ever playoff match against the Charleston Battery, losing 2–1 in the quarterfinals of the 2016 USL playoffs. The attendance of 30,187 also set the USL playoff record.
Cincinnati broke the regular season record again on August 5, 2017, at Nippert Stadium, drawing 25,308 against Orlando City B. They broke their own record again about six weeks later drawing 30,417 to a 4–2 win over the New York Red Bulls II. Cincinnati broke the record once more in their final home regular season game as a USL team on September 29, 2018, drawing 31,478 versus Indy Eleven.