The USL Championship on Monday announced a 34-game 2023 Louisville City FC schedule that kicks off in March and runs through mid-October.
LouCity will play each Eastern Conference club home and away plus see every team from the Western Conference at least once, with the West headliner an April 15 matchup against San Antonio FC marking a 2022 USL Championship Final rematch at Lynn Family Stadium.
Other home highlights include an April 8 visit from Detroit City FC, a July 29 showdown versus rival Indy Eleven and the Oct. 14 regular season finale against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who City met in the Eastern Conference final each of the past three years.
Kickoff times and broadcast assignments will be set in the coming weeks. Fans can stay updated by bookmarking LouCity.com/2023-schedule.
“The schedule release is always a special day for us,” said coach Danny Cruz. “It allows us to continue planning for the year and, more importantly, is a reminder that the start of the season is right around the corner. There are challenges within this schedule that we will need to make sure we navigate as a staff, but we are looking forward to doing just that.
“We are all ready to get back on the field and continue to push towards another championship for our fans, our club and our city.”
LouCity starts its campaign away, playing at Orange County SC on March 11 and Monterey Bay FC on March 18. The first of 17 home games — 14 are on Saturdays — is set for March 25 against El Paso Locomotive FC at Lynn Family Stadium.
The bulk of City’s remaining home games will be played during the summer when the largest crowds have generally packed Lynn Family Stadium, including a club-record 14,673 last season for a victory over the Rowdies.
This year’s balanced competition structure — 24 clubs split evenly into the East and West — results in every team in the league squaring off for the first time since the USL Championship instituted a two-conference format in 2015.
In addition to San Antonio, Western Conference clubs visiting Louisville for the first time in 2023 are El Paso, Las Vegas Lights (June 24), Rio Grande Valley FC (Aug. 12) and Oakland Roots SC (Aug. 26).
“I love the format that has been laid out for the 2023 season,” Cruz said. “It is going to allow our fans to see new teams at Lynn Family Stadium and at the same time gives more balance to the overall league. There will be players that have never visited Lynn, and we are looking forward to continuing to show why this place is the most difficult place to play in the USL Championship.”
Both conference’s top-eight finishers will qualify for the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs. The postseason will remain a single-elimination format and return to a fixed bracket, culminating in the 2023 USL Championship Final on a date to be determined between Nov. 9 and Nov. 13.
Boasting 22 returning players — believed to be a USL Championship record — LouCity will look to do one better this year after falling to San Antonio in the 2022 league final. The boys in purple last season set club records for games won (22) and points earned (72) en route to an Eastern Conference title.
Season, group and premium tickets for the 2023 season are on sale now by visiting LouCity.com/tickets or calling (502) LOU-CITY during regular business hours. Single game tickets will go on sale later.
2023 Louisville City FC regular season schedule
(Home games listed in bold)
March 11: Orange County SC vs. LouCity
March 18: Monterey Bay FC vs. LouCity
March 25: LouCity vs. El Paso Locomotive FC
April 1: Sacramento Republic FC vs. LouCity
April 8: LouCity vs. Detroit City FC
April 15: LouCity vs. San Antonio FC
April 22: Charleston Battery vs. LouCity
April 29: Memphis 901 FC vs. LouCity
May 13: LouCity vs. Miami FC
May 24: LouCity vs. FC Tulsa
May 27: Indy Eleven vs. LouCity
June 3: Hartford Athletic vs. LouCity
June 10: LouCity vs. Memphis 901 FC
June 17: Phoenix Rising FC vs. LouCity
June 24: LouCity vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
July 1: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. LouCity
July 8: LouCity vs. Loudoun United FC
July 12: LouCity vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
July 19: Detroit City FC vs. LouCity
July 22: LouCity vs. Birmingham Legion FC
July 29: LouCity vs. Indy Eleven
Aug. 4: FC Tulsa vs. LouCity
Aug. 9: LouCity vs. Charleston Battery
Aug. 12: LouCity vs. Rio Grande Valley FC
Aug. 19: Birmingham Legion FC vs. LouCity
Aug. 26: LouCity vs. Oakland Roots SC
Sept. 2: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. LouCity
Sept. 9: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. LouCity
Sept. 16: LouCity vs. San Diego Loyal SC
Sept. 20: Miami FC vs. LouCity
Sept. 23: Loudoun United FC vs. LouCity
Sept. 30: New Mexico United vs. LouCity
Oct. 7: LouCity vs. Hartford Athletic
Oct. 14: LouCity vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies