USL League One

Last updated

USL League One
USL League One abbr light logo.svg
Organizing body United Soccer League
FoundedApril 2, 2017;8 years ago (2017-04-02)
First season 2019
CountryUnited States
Confederation CONCACAF
(North American Football Union)
Number of clubs18
Level on pyramid 3
Domestic cup U.S. Open Cup
League cup USL Cup
Current champion(s) One Knoxville SC (2025)
Current Players' Shield One Knoxville SC (2025)
Most championships Union Omaha (2 titles)
Most Players' Shields Union Omaha (3 titles)
Top scorer Emiliano Terzaghi (58)
Broadcaster(s)
Website uslleagueone.com
Current: 2026 season

USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division 3 league is operated by the United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division 2 USL Championship and other leagues. As of 2025, the league has 14 teams who play 30 regular season games, followed by playoffs. All teams also participate in the USL Cup, adding four games, followed by knockout rounds.

Contents

History

Early years (2017–2020)

The USL Championship was granted second-division sanctioning by the United States Soccer Federation in January 2017, leaving the third tier of American soccer unoccupied. From 1996 to 2009, the United Soccer League operated leagues at the lower divisions under various names, including the USL Second Division in the third tier. [1] On April 2, 2017, the USL announced that it would launch a new third-division league in 2019, with a minimum of eight clubs and relaxed requirements compared to the second-division USL. [2] [3] The new league had the temporary name USL Division III (USL D3). [2] The league announced that they would target cities with a population of 150,000 to one million, mostly in cities currently without a professional team. [4]

The Greenville Triumph SC (here pictured in 2019) was one of the ten founding members of the USL League One RRR Section.jpg
The Greenville Triumph SC (here pictured in 2019) was one of the ten founding members of the USL League One

In the following months, the league began searching for cities and markets in which to locate new member teams. A tour of prospective cities in the southeastern United States was conducted by the league's vice president from April to May 2017, [5] followed by a visit to North Carolina and a similar tour of the Midwest in late May. [6] [7] After the closing of the southeastern tour, the league announced a possible plan for Tormenta FC, a Premier Development League team from Georgia, to join the league. [8]

The unveiling of the first founding member, South Georgia Tormenta FC, took place on January 25, 2018. [9] This was followed by FC Tucson on February 6, [10] [11] Greenville Triumph SC on March 13, [12] [13] and Madison, Wisconsin on May 17. [14] Toronto FC II of the USL was announced on July 2, [15] and Chattanooga, Tennessee was announced on August 1. [16] Three USL Championship teams, Penn FC, the Rochester Rhinos and the Richmond Kickers, also announced plans to move to League One by 2020 due to financial difficulties. [17] [18] [19] On October 2, 2018, the tenth and final founding member was revealed to be the reserve team of FC Dallas. Four days later, the club unveiled its branding as North Texas SC.

The league filed for Division III status with the USSF on August 14, 2018. Ten founding teams were listed in the application. [20] [21] On December 14, 2018, USSF voted to provisionally sanction League One as a Division 3 league for 2019. [22] [ non-primary source needed ][ better source needed ] The league currently shares Division III status with MLS Next Pro and the National Independent Soccer Association. [23]

The first League One game was played on March 29, 2019, when Tormenta FC defeated Greenville Triumph SC 1–0 before a crowd of 3,519 at Eagle Field in Erk Russell Park. Alex Morrell scored the first goal in the 72nd minute. [24] [25] At the end of the season, Lansing Ignite FC folded. [26]

Departure of MLS reserve teams and first wave of expansion (2020–2022)

For the 2020 season, Union Omaha joined the league. [27] Additionally, the New England Revolution and Inter Miami CF placed reserve teams in the league, bringing the total number of teams to 12. [28]

On June 21, 2021, Major League Soccer announced the creation of a new professional soccer league, MLS Next Pro, which began play in 2022 and would host all of MLS's reserve teams along with some independent teams. [29] Fort Lauderdale CF, New England Revolution II, North Texas SC and Toronto FC II all joined MLS Next Pro after the 2021 League One season. [30] Former League One side Orlando City B joined MLS Next Pro for the inaugural 2022 season following a hiatus that began after the club completed the 2020 League One season. [30] Rochester New York FC, formerly known as Rochester Rhinos, announced on December 5, 2021, that the club would be joining MLS Next Pro as its first independent club. [31] Rochester had announced in 2018 their intentions to join League One for the 2020 season, though stadium delays and other financial issues kept the club on hiatus for four years. [32] [33] On October 5, 2021, the USL announced it had awarded Lexington Pro Soccer an expansion team for the 2023 season. It would be League One's first club based in Kentucky. [34] The club's identity was revealed as Lexington Sporting Club on March 22, 2022. [35]

The Spokane Velocity (pictured) was one of the many expansion clubs that joined USL League One during its post-MLS reserve team departure expansion period Velocity Home Opener.jpg
The Spokane Velocity (pictured) was one of the many expansion clubs that joined USL League One during its post-MLS reserve team departure expansion period

Central Valley Fuego FC, Charlotte Independence and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC began play in 2022. [36] [37] [38] On June 3, 2022, USL announced that they had granted a group based out of Wilmington, North Carolina the exclusive rights to pursue a League One expansion team for the area to join in 2024. Wilmington had been the home of long-time USL club Wilmington Hammerheads FC, which played in various USL leagues from 1996 until 2017. [39] On July 12, 2022, USL announced that a newly formed club, Santa Barbara Sky FC, would be joining League One for the 2024 season, [40] though their debut would later be delayed until 2025, [41] then cancelled entirely, instead joining USL Championship beginning in 2026. [42] Following the conclusion of the 2022 regular season, FC Tucson announced a self-relegation back to USL League Two. [43] Shortly after FC Tucson announced their self-relegation, One Knoxville SC announced they would turn professional and join League One for 2023, following a successful debut season that saw them reach the USL League Two conference finals. [44] On October 7, 2022, the league announced an expansion team in Spokane, Washington, named Spokane Velocity. [45] On December 8, 2022, it was announced that USL League Two club Lane United FC acquired exclusive rights to pursue a League One franchise in Lane County, Oregon. [46] This club will begin play in 2026 as Sporting Cascades FC. [47]

Second wave of expansion (2023–present)

Throughout autumn 2023, the league announced three more expansion teams: one in Portland, Maine, [48] named Portland Hearts of Pine, [49] one in Sherman, Texas, named Texoma FC, [50] and one in Lancaster, California, [51] named AV Alta FC. [52] The league announced two more expansion teams in early 2024, first in Naples, Florida, later unveiled as FC Naples, [53] and Mount Vernon, New York, named Westchester SC. [54]

In August 2024, the USL announced that Lexington SC would be moving from League One to the Championship for the 2025 season. [55]

The growth of the league in the mid-2020s has been aided by pseudo-promotion of clubs from the pre-professional USL League Two (One Knoxville SC pictured) One Knoxville SC Covenant Health Park 02.jpg
The growth of the league in the mid-2020s has been aided by pseudo-promotion of clubs from the pre-professional USL League Two ( One Knoxville SC pictured)

In October 2024, the league granted expansion teams to Corpus Christi, Texas, and Boise, Idaho, the latter being named Athletic Club Boise. [56] [57] [58] Both are expected to join for the 2026 season, with the Corpus Christi team retaining the Corpus Christi FC identity it had used in League Two.

On November 14, 2024, the USL announced that it had terminated Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC's franchise agreement and that Central Valley Fuego and the league "had come to a mutual decision to part ways." [59] Both of these teams would eventually move to The League for Clubs. [60] [61]

In mid-February 2025, the league granted an expansion team to Paterson, New Jersey to begin play for the 2026 season at historic Hinchliffe Stadium. [62] The team's name was revealed as the New York Cosmos in July 2025, adopting the identity of the legendary New York team that competed in the original North American Soccer League (NASL) and fielded the likes of Pelé and Giorgio Chinaglia. [63] The Cosmos name had previously been revived in 2010 for the relaunch of the NASL, but that club played only four professional matches after the second NASL failed in 2017, and had played none since 2020 after briefly joining the National Independent Soccer Association. [63]

Also in February 2025, two League Two teams, Sarasota Paradise and Fort Wayne FC, declared their intention to go fully professional and join League One in 2026. [64] [65]

In April 2025, Fort Lauderdale United FC, a women's team competing in the USL Super League, originally announced that it would form a men's team to compete in USL League One for 2026. [66] In December 2025, the club announced that it would push its League One team's launch date to 2027. [67]

On October 13, 2025, Port St. Lucie SC was announced as the newest USL League One franchise, based in Port St. Lucie, Florida and set to begin play in 2027. [68]

Following their inaugural season in League One, the ownership group for Texoma FC announced that the Texoma franchise would be moving to USL League Two for at least the 2026 season with the intent of moving back to League One in the future. [69] Texoma's ownership group subsequently started a new USL League One team in Celina, Texas, Rodeo SC, with an intention to compete in the 2027 season. [70] Celina is 27 miles south of Sherman, Texas, where Texoma plays.

Teams

USL League One
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900km
559miles
                         Westchester
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                          Port St. Lucie
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New York                    
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                    Greenville
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Fort Wayne               
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Chattanooga                          
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Locations of current and future USL League One teams.

For its 2026 season, eighteen teams will compete in USL League One, including nine in the south and three each in the midwest, northeast, and west. [71] The league operates under a franchise model, where the USL grants a club "franchise rights" to field a team into the league. [72] [73] [74] The minimum salary for a player in the league is $2,200 per month, with no flex contracts like those in the USL Championship being offered. [75] [76]

Of the charter members of its inaugural 2019 season, five continue to play in the league: the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Forward Madison FC, Greenville Triumph SC, Richmond Kickers, and Tormenta FC. [77] The Charlotte Independence and Kickers previously played in the USL Championship, [78] [79] while Corpus Christi FC, Fort Wayne FC, One Knoxville SC, Sarasota Paradise, and Tormenta moved from USL League Two. [80] [81] [82] The rest of the league's membership are expansion clubs that commenced play in USL League One. A League Two club (Fort Lauderdale United FC) and three expansion clubs (Port St. Lucie SC, Rodeo SC, and Sporting Cascades FC) have been granted entry into League One for the 2027 season. [67] [68] [70]

The USL is currently in discussions with municipal governments for potential League One or Championship expansion clubs based in Brevard County, Florida, [83] Brownsville, Texas, [84] [85] Firestone, Colorado, [86] Green Bay, Wisconsin, [87] [88] Modesto, California, [89] [90] Pensacola, Florida, [91] [92] Pico Rivera, California, [93] [94] Riverside, California, [95] [96] Santa Rosa, California, [97] [98] Springfield, Missouri, [99] and Winter Garden, Florida. [100] [101] The municipal government of Everett, Washington is exploring a possible expansion club to co-inhabit a planned multi-purpose stadium with the Everett AquaSox baseball club. [102] [103]

Current clubs

TeamCityStadiumCapacityFoundedJoinedHead coach
Current teams
Athletic Club Boise Garden City, Idaho The Stadium at Expo Idaho [i] 6,00020242026 Flag of the United States.svg Nate Miller
AV Alta FC Lancaster, California Lancaster Municipal Stadium [i] 5,30020232025 Flag of the United States.svg Brian Kleiban
Charlotte Independence Charlotte, North Carolina American Legion Memorial Stadium [i] 10,50020142022 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Jeffries
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC East Ridge, Tennessee CHI Memorial Stadium [i] 2,50020182019 Flag of England.svg Scott Mackenzie
Corpus Christi FC Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi Stadium [i] 5,00020172026 Flag of Libya.svg Éamon Zayed
Fort Wayne FC Fort Wayne, Indiana New Fort Wayne Stadium [i] 8,40020192026 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Avery
Forward Madison FC Madison, Wisconsin Breese Stevens Field [i] 5,00020182019 Flag of the United States.svg Matt Glaeser
Greenville Triumph SC Mauldin, South Carolina GE Vernova Park [i] [104] 6,30020182019 Flag of the United States.svg Dave Dixon [105]
FC Naples Naples, Florida Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium [i] 5,00020242025 Flag of the United States.svg Matt Poland
New York Cosmos Paterson, New Jersey Hinchliffe Stadium [ii] 10,00020252026 Flag of Italy.svg Davide Corti
One Knoxville SC Knoxville, Tennessee Covenant Health Park [ii] 6,35520212023 Flag of the United States.svg Ian Fuller
Portland Hearts of Pine Portland, Maine Fitzpatrick Stadium [iii] 6,00020232025 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Murphy
Richmond Kickers Richmond, Virginia City Stadium [i] 6,00019932019 Flag of the United States.svg Darren Sawatzky
Sarasota Paradise Lakewood Ranch, Florida Premier Sports Campus [i] 3,00020222026 Flag of Finland.svg Mika Elovaara
South Georgia Tormenta FC Statesboro, Georgia Tormenta Stadium [i] 5,30020152019 Flag of Ireland.svg Mark McKeever
Spokane Velocity FC Spokane, Washington ONE Spokane Stadium [iii] 5,10020212024 Flag of England.svg Leigh Veidman
Union Omaha Omaha, Nebraska Morrison Stadium [iii] 9,02320192020 Flag of Colombia.svg Vincenzo Candela
Westchester SC Mount Vernon, New York The Stadium at Memorial Field [iii] 3,90020242025 Flag of the United States.svg George Gjokaj [106]
Notes

Future clubs

TeamCityStadiumCapacityFoundedJoiningHead coach
Planned expansion teams
Fort Lauderdale United FC [66] [107] Fort Lauderdale, Florida Beyond Bancard Field [i] [108] 7,00020252027TBD
Port St. Lucie SC [68] Port St. Lucie, Florida Walton & One Stadium [i] [109] 6,00020252027TBD
Rodeo SC [70] Celina, Texas Bobcat Stadium 6,50020252027TBD
Sporting Cascades FC [47] Eugene, Oregon Civic Park [i] [110] 3,50020242027TBD
Notes

Former teams

ClubCityStadiumCapacityJoinedFinal seasonFateRef.
Central Valley Fuego FC Fresno, California Fresno State Soccer Stadium [i] 1,00020222024Moved to The League for Clubs [59] [111]
Fort Lauderdale CF Fort Lauderdale, Florida DRV PNK Stadium [i] 18,00020202021Moved to MLS Next Pro [30]
Lansing Ignite FC Lansing, Michigan Cooley Law School Stadium [ii] 7,52720192019Folded [26]
Lexington SC Lexington, Kentucky Lexington SC Stadium [i] 7,50020232024Moved to USL Championship [112]
New England Revolution II Foxborough, Massachusetts Gillette Stadium [iii] 20,00020202021Moved to MLS Next Pro [30]
North Carolina FC Cary, North Carolina WakeMed Soccer Park [i] 10,00020212023Moved to USL Championship [113]
North Texas SC Arlington, Texas Choctaw Stadium [iii] 48,11420192021Moved to MLS Next Pro [30]
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC Windsor, Colorado 4Rivers Equipment Stadium [i] 2,50020222024Moved to The League for Clubs [59] [114]
Orlando City B Kissimmee, Florida Osceola County Stadium [i] 5,40020192020Moved to MLS Next Pro [30]
Texoma FC Sherman, Texas Historic Bearcat Stadium [i] 6,50020252025Moved to USL League Two [115]
Toronto FC II Toronto, Ontario BMO Training Ground [i] 1,00020192021Moved to MLS Next Pro [30]
FC Tucson Tucson, Arizona Kino North Stadium [i] 3,20020192022Moved to USL League Two [116]
Notes

Timeline

Sporting Cascades FCRodeo SCPort St. Lucie SCFort Lauderdale United FCSarasota ParadiseNew York Cosmos (2026)Fort Wayne FCCorpus Christi FCAthletic Club BoiseWestchester SCTexoma FCPortland Hearts of PineFC NaplesAV Alta FCSpokane VelocityOne Knoxville SCLexington SCNorthern Colorado Hailstorm FCCharlotte IndependenceCentral Valley Fuego FCNorth Carolina FCUnion OmahaNew England Revolution IIFort Lauderdale CFFC TucsonToronto FC IITormenta FCRichmond KickersOrlando City BNorth Texas SCLansing Ignite FCGreenville Triumph SCForward Madison FCChattanooga Red Wolves SCUSL League One

Champions

Teams that no longer participate in USL League One are in italics.

SeasonTeamsPlayoff championsPlayers' Shield [a]
2019 10 North Texas SC North Texas SC
2020 11 Greenville Triumph SC [b] Greenville Triumph SC
2021 12 Union Omaha Union Omaha
2022 11 South Georgia Tormenta FC Richmond Kickers
2023 12 North Carolina FC Union Omaha
2024 12 Union Omaha Union Omaha
2025 14 One Knoxville SC One Knoxville SC
2026 18
  1. Known as "Regular season champions" from 2019 to 2022
  2. The 2020 Final was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Greenville was awarded the championship based on points per game.

USL League One Finals

SeasonChampionsScoreRunners–upVenueAttendanceMVP
2019 North Texas SC 1–0 [117] Greenville Triumph SC Toyota Stadium 3,245 Arturo Rodríguez (NTX)
2020 Greenville Triumph SC Cancelled [118] Union Omaha Legacy Early College Field N/AN/A
2021 Union Omaha 3–0 [119] Greenville Triumph SC Werner Park 5,221 Damià Viader (OMA)
2022 South Georgia Tormenta FC 2–1 [120] Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Optim Sports Medicine Field 3,045 Kazaiah Sterling (TRM)
2023 North Carolina FC 1–1 (5–4 PK) [121] Charlotte Independence WakeMed Soccer Park 4,487 Raheem Somersall (NCA)
2024 Union Omaha 3–0 [122] Spokane Velocity FC Werner Park 5,849 Joe Gallardo (OMA)
2025 One Knoxville SC 2–0 Spokane Velocity FC Covenant Health Park 7,500Nico Rosamilia (KNX)

Attendance

SeasonTeamsLeague avg.Playoff avg.Highest teamsLowest teamsRef
2019 101,9113,2174,292 (Madison)
3,468 (Richmond)
168 (Toronto)
203 (Orlando)
[123]
2020 N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
2021 121,7213,0983,287 (Omaha)
2,761 (Madison)
151 (New England)
849 (North Texas)
[124]
2022 112,2032,8654,759 (Madison)
3,551 (Richmond)
516 (Northern Colorado)
1,041 (South Georgia)
[125]
2023 122,3632,6044,786 (Richmond)
4,310 (Madison)
735 (Central Valley)
1,322 (South Georgia)
[126]
2024 122,3293,2624,672 (Richmond)
4,242 (Madison)
728 (Central Valley)
1,077 (Charlotte)
[127]

See also

Notes

    References

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