TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League on Monday announced its structure for the 2017 season, which will feature 30 teams playing an expanded 32-game schedule as the league continues in a two-conference alignment.
Louisville City FC enters its third year having made back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Final and will remain on that side of the league.
“The 2017 USL Season will feature enhanced competition due to the conference alignment,” said USL President Jake Edwards. “Building off the momentum of our Division II designation last week, we look forward to another exciting season of elite professional soccer across all our markets. Fans can expect thrilling action on the pitch as our clubs battle for the coveted USL Cup.”
League newcomers the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Ottawa Fury FC will play in the USL’s Eastern Conference while expansion Reno 1868 FC will play in the Western Conference. Saint Louis FC will rejoin the Eastern Conference, and both the Eastern and Western Conferences will each have 15 teams.
The 2017 USL regular season schedule will see teams play a 32 matches contested over 30 weeks, with the regular season starting March 24-26 and concluding the weekend of October 13-15. Teams will play two games (one home, one away) against each conference rival. The remaining four games will be played against regional foes. Teams will not face each other more than three times during the 2017 regular season.
The top eight teams in each conference will qualify for postseason play that will include Conference Quarterfinals (Oct. 20-22), Semifinals (Oct. 27-29) and Final (Nov. 3-5). The 2017 USL Cup Final will be played the weekend of November 10-12. The full 2017 USL schedule will be released soon.
“It’s a very exciting time to be involved in the USL, especially when you look at the caliber of the new teams entering,” said LouCity Coach James O’Connor. “The Eastern Conference, which was already very competitive, has now added more teams with great histories, fan bases and budgets. All this means we will participate in the most sought-after Eastern Conference title and USL Cup, and we cannot wait to get started.”
The conference alignment will be:
Eastern Conference
Bethlehem Steel FC
Charleston Battery
Charlotte Independence
FC Cincinnati
Harrisburg City Islanders
Louisville City FC
New York Red Bulls II
Orlando City B
Ottawa Fury FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Richmond Kickers
Rochester Rhinos
Saint Louis FC
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Toronto FC II
Western Conference
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
LA Galaxy II
OKC Energy FC
Orange County Blues FC
Phoenix Rising FC
Portland Timbers 2
Real Monarchs SLC
Reno 1868 FC
Rio Grande Valley FC
Sacramento Republic FC
San Antonio FC
Seattle Sounders FC 2
Swope Park Rangers
Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
The 2016 season saw the USL record a total attendance of almost 1.5 million for 29 teams, a 33 percent increase from 2015. The league has more than doubled in size since 2014 and has built a stable, highly-competitive professional soccer league positioned for long-term success. The USL enters the 2017 season with three new teams, and has announced Nashville SC as joining the league in 2018. Additional expansion announcements are expected in the near future.
