USL Championship

The USL Championship (also known as USLC) is a professional soccer league for men in the United States. It started in 2011 and is the second-best level of professional soccer in the country, just below Major League Soccer.

The league is managed by the United Soccer League, and their main office is in Tampa, Florida. The USL Championship was created by combining two smaller leagues, USL First Division (USL-1) and USL Second Division (USL-2), after the 2010 season.

This combination happened because neither USL-1 nor the North American Soccer League (NASL) were officially recognized as Division II leagues by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). They had to play in a temporary league called USSF Division 2 Pro League for a while. The goal of putting these leagues together was to make the overall soccer situation better in the United States. They thought it would make soccer more stable and popular.

 Teams 

These teams below played in the USL Championships during the 2023 season.

 Team Location Stadium  Size Created Joined Head coachEastern Conference Birmingham Legion FC Birmingham, Alabama Protective Stadium 47,100 2017 2019  Tom SoehnBrooklyn FCBrooklyn, New YorkMaimonides Park7,00020232026-Charleston BatteryMount Pleasant, South CarolinaPatriots Point Soccer Complex3,90019932011 Ben Pirmann Detroit City FC Hamtramck, Michigan Keyworth Stadium 7,933 2012 2022  Trevor James Hartford Athletic Hartford, Connecticut Trinity Health Stadium 5,500 2018 2019  Omid Namazi Indy Eleven Indianapolis, Indiana Carroll Stadium 10,524  2013 2018  Mark LowrySporting Club JacksonvilleJacksonville, FloridaHodges Stadium12,00020222026 Liam FoxLoudoun United FC Leesburg, VirginiaSegra Field 5,000 2018 2019  Ryan Martin Louisville City FC Louisville, Kentucky Lynn Family Stadium 11,700 2014 2015  Danny CruzMiami FCUniversity Park, FloridaPittbull Stadium 20,000 2015 2020  Lewis Neal (interim) Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Highmark Stadium 5,000 1998 2011  Bob LilleyRhode Island FCPawtucket, Rhode IslandCentreville Bank Stadium5,00020192024 Khano Smith Tampa Bay Rowdies St. Petersburg, Florida Al Lang Stadium 7,227 2008 2017  Robbie NeilsonWestern Conference Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Colorado Springs, Colorado Weidner Field 8,000 2013 2015  Stephen Hogan El Paso Locomotive FC El Paso, Texas Southwest University Park 9,500 2018 2019  Brian Clarhaut Las Vegas Lights FC Las Vegas, Nevada Cashman Field 9,334 2017 2018  Isidro SanchezLexington SCLexington, KentuckyLexington SC Stadium7,50020212025 Masaki Hemmi Monterey Bay FC Seaside, California Cardinale Stadium 6,000 2021 2022  Frank Yallop New Mexico United Albuquerque, New Mexico Rio Grande Credit Union Field 13,500 2018 2019  Eric Quill Oakland Roots SC Oakland, California Oakland Coliseum 5,000 2018 2021  Noah Delgado Orange County SC Irvine, California Championship Soccer Stadium 5,000 2010 2011  Morten Karlsen (interim) Phoenix Rising FC Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium 10,000 2014   Juan Guerra Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento, California Heart Health Park 11,569 2012 2014  Mark Briggs San Antonio FC San Antonio, Texas Toyota Field 8,296 2016  Alen MarcinaFC TulsaTulsa, OklahomaOneok Field7,83320132015 Blair Gavin

 Expansion teams 
 Team City Stadium  Capacity Founded Joining Head coachAtlético DallasDallas, TexasCotton Bowl90,00020242027 USL Pro Iowa Des Moines, Iowa Pro Iowa Stadium 6,300 2022 TBD Milwaukee Pro Soccer Milwaukee, Wisconsin Iron District Stadium 8,000 2022 TBD Ozark United FC Rogers, Arkansas TBD 5,000 2023 2027Reno Pro SoccerReno, NevadaTBD6,00020252027Santa Barbara Sky FCSanta Barbara, CaliforniaHarder Stadium17,00020232027

Notes

 Not playing right now 
 Club Location Stadium Size Joined Last Played Notes OKC Energy FC  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City Stadium 7,500 2014 2021 Planned 2028 return, waiting on new stadium 

 Former teams 
 Club Location Stadium Size Joined Last season MLS partner Where are they now Antigua Barracuda FC  St. John's, Antigua Stanford Cricket Ground  5,000 2011 2013 None Folded Atlanta United 2 Kennesaw, Georgia Fifth Third Bank Stadium 8,318 2018 2022 Atlanta United Moved to MLS Next Pro Austin Bold FC Austin, Texas Circuit of the Americas 5,000 2017 2021  None  Folded Austin Aztex  Austin, Texas House Park  6,500 2015 Columbus Crew SC Folded Charlotte Eagles Charlotte, North Carolina Dickson Field 5,006 2011 2014 None Moved to Premier Development League Charlotte Independence Charlotte, North Carolina Memorial Stadium 10,500 2014 2021 None Moved to USL League One FC Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Nippert Stadium 33,800 2015 2018 None Moved to Major League Soccer Dayton Dutch Lions West Carrollton, Ohio DOC Stadium 3,000 2011 2014  Moved to Premier Development League FC Montreal Montreal, Quebec Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard 3,500 2015 2016 Montreal Impact Folded by MLS parent club F.C. New York Queens, New York Belson Stadium 2,168 2011 None Moved to National Premier Soccer League Fresno FC Fresno, California Chukchansi Park 12,500 2017 2019 None Relocated to Monterey County, California, became Monterey Bay FC LA Galaxy II Carson, California Dignity Health Sports Park 10,000 2014 2022 LA Galaxy Moved to MLS Next Pro Nashville SC Nashville, Tennessee First Tennessee Park 10,000 2016 2019 None Moved to Major League Soccer New York Red Bulls II Montclair, New Jersey MSU Soccer Park 5,000 2015 2022 New York Red Bulls Moved to MLS Next ProMemphis 901 FCMemphis, TennesseeAutoZone Park10,00020182025NoneFolded North Carolina FC Cary, North Carolina Sahlen's Stadium 10,000 2018 2025 None On break, wanting to join USL Division One Orlando City B Orlando, Florida Orlando City Stadium 3,500 2016 2017 Orlando City SC Moved to USL League One Orlando City SC Bay Lake, Florida ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex 5,500 2011 2014 Sporting Kansas City Moved to Major League Soccer; USL rights transferred to Louisville Ottawa Fury FC Ottawa, Ontario TD Place Stadium 24,000 2017 2019 Montreal Impact Folded; USL rights transferred to Miami Penn FC Harrisburg, Pennsylvania FNB Field 6,187 2011 2018 None Folded Philadelphia Union II Chester, Pennsylvania Subaru Park 18,500 2015 2020 Philadelphia Union Moved to MLS Next Pro Phoenix FC Tempe, Arizona Sun Devil Soccer Stadium 3,400 2013 None Folded; replaced by Arizona United SC Portland Timbers 2 Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro Stadium 7,600 2015 2020 Portland Timbers Moved to MLS Next Pro Puerto Rico United  Aguada, Puerto Rico Aguada Stadium 4,000 2011 None Moved to Liga Nacional (PR)Real Monarchs Herriman, Utah Zions Bank Stadium 5,000 2015 2021 Real Salt Lake Moved to MLS Next Pro Reno 1868 FC Reno, Nevada Greater Nevada Field 9,013 2017 2020 San Jose Earthquakes FoldedRio Grande Valley FCEdinburg, TexasH-E-B Park9,40020152023NoneFolded River Plate Puerto Rico Fajardo, Puerto Rico Roberto Clemente Stadium 12,500 2011 None Moved to Puerto Rico Soccer League Richmond Kickers Richmond, Virginia City Stadium 22,000 2011 2018 D.C. United Moved to USL League One Rochester Rhinos Rochester, New York Marina Auto Stadium 13,768 2011 2017 New England Revolution Moved to MLS Next Pro Saint Louis FC Fenton, Missouri West Community Stadium 5,500 2014 2020 None Folded  San Diego Loyal SCSan Diego, CaliforniaTorero Stadium 6,000 2020 2023 None Folded Sevilla Puerto Rico Juncos, Puerto Rico Josué Elevadito González Stadium 2,500 2011 None Moved to Liga Nacional (PR)Sporting Kansas City II Kansas City, Kansas Children's Mercy Park 18,467 2016 2021 Sporting Kansas City Moved to MLS Next ProTacoma Defiance Tacoma, Washington Cheney Stadium 6,500 2015 2021 Seattle Sounders FC Moved to MLS Next Pro Toronto FC II Toronto, Ontario Lamport Stadium 9,600 2014 2018 Toronto FC Moved to USL League One  Vancouver, British Columbia Thunderbird Stadium 3,500 2015 2017 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Moved to MLS Next Pro VSI Tampa Bay FC Plant City, Florida Plant City Stadium 6,700 2013 2013 None Folded  Wilmington, North Carolina Legion Stadium 6,000 2011 2016 Toronto FC & New York City FC Moved to PDL

 Timeline 

 Before MLS second teams left 
‡ 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.

 After MLS second teams left 

 References 

 Other websites 
 Offical Website

Category:USL Championship
Category:Soccer in the United States
Category:Sports organizations of the United States
Category:2011 establishments in the United States
Category:Soccer leagues in the United States