The USL Championship has announced the structure for its 2026 season, marking the league’s 16th campaign. The regular season will begin on Saturday, March 7, and feature 25 teams competing across two conferences.
The regular season will run for 34 weeks, ending on Saturday, October 24. Following this, the postseason is scheduled to start the next weekend.
For the upcoming season, the league will be divided into Eastern and Western Conferences. The Eastern Conference will have 13 teams with Brooklyn FC and Sporting Jacksonville SC joining as expansion clubs. The Western Conference will consist of 12 teams, including New Mexico United.
Teams in both conferences will play a total of 30 games during the regular season. Eastern Conference clubs are set to play either 24 or 25 games against other Eastern teams and five or six games against Western opponents. Meanwhile, Western Conference clubs will play 24 games within their conference and six inter-conference matches.
The third year of a four-year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports means that matches will be available nationally on ESPN Networks, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, ESPN+, and TUDN. A complete broadcast schedule is expected after the full release of the league fixture list.
At the end of the regular season, eight teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs. The postseason maintains its single-elimination format with a fixed bracket system. The championship final is set to air on CBS Television Network between November 20 and November 22, with further details to follow.
