CINCINNATI -- The United Soccer League today announced its conference alignment for the 2018 USL regular season, and for the third season in a row, FC Cincinnati will remain in the Eastern Conference.
The 2018 USL regular season will feature 33 teams across the United States and Canada, with teams broken into two conferences for the upcoming season. The new conference alignment will also allow for an even greater group of regional rivalries across both conferences as the league’s regular season will also expand to 34 games.
The conferences will be split geographically, with 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 17 teams in the Western Conference. Former Eastern Conference foe Saint Louis FC has rejoined the Western Conference after a one year stay in the East for the 2018 season, where it will join expansion clubs Las Vegas Lights FC and Fresno FC in the battle for a place in the USL Cup Playoffs this season.
The Eastern Conference will welcome four new teams this season, with ATL UTD 2, Indy Eleven, Nashville SC and North Carolina FC joining the conference. The addition of Indy and Nashville adds to a strong pocket of clubs in the Midwest as they join FC Cincinnati and Louisville City FC, while NCFC and ATL UTD 2 complement the league’s existing clubs on the East Coast, with the Charleston Battery, Charlotte Independence and Richmond Kickers eagerly awaiting the chance to square off with their new rivals.
Orlando City B elected not to participate in the USL at the Division II level in 2018 while it evaluates its future options.
Schedule information for the upcoming 2018 season will be available in the near future. In the meantime, you can purchase 2018 FC Cincinnati season ticket memberships online at www.fccicinnati.com/season-tickets.
