USL League One Expansion Updates: Summer 2025
2026 shaping up to be another big year, while even more markets look towards the future
Stadiums, branding, ticketing and pro staffing.
These are the signs we look for when determining which announced and rumored teams are more likely to join USL League One.
Here’s our quarterly update on expansion plans, some confirmed for 2026 and others with plans to join in 2027 or beyond.
We’re happy to report the following: no existing clubs appear to be in danger of folding or exiting the league; and sources indicate that all seven of the 2026 clubs have turned in the paperwork and are on track. There could still be a bump or two in the road as everything is finalized, but as of now, USL League One may have 21 clubs in 2026.
Confirmed for 2026
Athletic Club Boise
Stadium: Les Bois Stadium at Expo Idaho (6,225 estimated capacity)
Branding: AC Boise
2026 season ticket deposits: on sale
Staffing: in progress
AC Boise released branding earlier this month, and will join USL League One in 2026 with plans to join the USL Super League in 2027. They reported selling over 4,000 season ticket deposits, which they’re calling a new league record. The club also announced the hiring of Jeremy Fishbein as VP of Soccer, where he will “lead all soccer operations, including hiring the club’s first head coach, developing the player recruitment pipeline, and establishing the foundational philosophy that will define Athletic Club Boise on and off the pitch.” Meanwhile, the construction of the stadium at Expo Idaho has been underway since March.
Corpus Christi FC
Stadium: Corpus Christi Sports Complex Stadium (5,000 estimated capacity)
Branding: Corpus Christi FC
2026 season ticket deposits: on sale
Staffing: in progress
Corpus Christi FC appears to be keeping the much beloved branding from its USL League Two club. Season ticket deposits are on sale, and the 5,000 capacity stadium is under construction, due to open in time for 2026.
Eugene
Stadium: Civic Park (3,500 capacity)
Branding: TBD
2026 season ticket deposits: TBD
Staffing: TBD
Things have been quiet in Eugene, but sources indicate that the paperwork has been submitted to join USL League One in 2026. The team also announced a primary owner/investor, Sat Dhinsa, something that had been known to be holding back professional ambitions. We’re waiting on a brand refresh as ownership previously indicated the current Lane United brand will be retired. We’re also waiting on season tickets and staffing announcements. The club stated there should be more news coming over the next few weeks.
Fort Lauderdale United
Stadium: Beyond Bancard Field at NSU (7,000 capacity)
Branding: Fort Lauderdale United FC
2026 season ticket deposits: TBD
Staffing: in progress
Fort Lauderdale FC just completed a successful USL Super League season, and will add a men’s side in USL League One in 2026. The club recently announced the hiring of a shared GM, who will be building out the technical staff for the men’s side. They’re collecting interest from fans for season tickets, but not yet collecting deposits for the men’s team.
Fort Wayne FC
Stadium: Fort Wayne FC Park (estimated capacity 9,200)
Branding: Fort Wayne FC
2026 season ticket deposits: on sale
Staffing: in progress
Fort Wayne FC celebrated its final USL League Two regular season match last weekend, and is moving full speed towards its professional turn in 2026. Season ticket deposits went on sale this week, and stadium construction is underway.
New York Cosmos
Stadium: Hinchliffe Stadium (7,800 capacity)
Branding: New York Cosmos
2026 season ticket deposits: on sale
Staffing: in progress
The league made things official for an expansion club in Patterson, NJ, then after much speculation, ownership dropped the branding bombshell last week: the club will take over the New York Cosmos brand. The third iteration of the Cosmos name in professional soccer will play at Hinchliffe Stadium, and is also working on a USL Super League team in 2027.
Sarasota Paradise
Stadium: Premier Sports Campus Stadium (3,000 capacity, may be upgraded)
Branding: Sarasota Paradise
2026 season ticket deposits: on sale
Staffing: in progress
The back to back South Florida Division champs in USL2 will play at an upgraded Premier Sports Campus Stadium in Lakewood Ranch. Branding and a kit maker (Hummel) are already in place, and the professional organization is in progress. Season ticket deposits for 2026 are also live.
2027 and Beyond
Albany
After several years of MLS NextPro speculation, the group looking to bring professional soccer to New York’s capitol suddenly pivoted to USL in March following the league’s announcement of Pro/Rel adoption. The group is looking to build a 7,500 capacity stadium in the downtown area, and has not committed to a timeline.
AFC Ann Arbor
A source tells us that the USL League Two/USLW club is in the early stages of exploring a move to the professional ranks pending a stadium site and investors.
Annapolis Blues
There would be a lot of work to be done here, most importantly a stadium; but after a record-setting USL League Two season, there is now talk directly from team ownership of turning Annapolis Blues towards the professional ranks. The club currently plays at the Naval Academy’s NMC Stadium, a football facility that is unavailable to the club during the school’s football and lacrosse seasons. This Summer, the Blue averaged 8,700 fans and exceeded $1m in revenue. The attendance figure would place them in the top five of USL Championship, but they’d need a home of their own in order to progress.
Apotheos FC
Based out of Silverbacks Park, a professional-grade, soccer-specific stadium in DeKalb County, GA, the USL2 side has been rumored to be pursuing a professional jump. It would be one of two USL projects in the Atlanta Metro Area, with a group already pursuing a USL Championship expansion in nearby Rosewell.
Asheville City SC
An astute Redditor found a story in the Asheville Watchdog about an interesting (and controversial) development with UNC Asheville that would include a 5,000 capacity soccer stadium along with a mixed-use development. Given the size of the stadium and the involvement of existing USL League Two club Asheville City SC, we’re keeping a close eye on this one as a potential jump to USL League One. However, the project is threatened by local opposition and communication missteps by the development partners.
Boston City
The Blazing Musket reported in December that USL2 club Boston City has ambitions to move to USL League One. At the time, reporting indicated that the club could share White Stadium with Boston Legacy of the NWSL, however this has been confirmed by Boston Legacy to be inaccurate. There are no further updates at this time.
Dayton Dutch Lions
The USL2 side beefed up operations this year, now 10 seasons removed from its last professional run in USL PRO. Operations Director Alex Ash told local media the club is pursuing a return to the pros in USL League One “in the next couple of years.” Ash acknowledges that there are several boxes to check, including a stadium, something that has site surveys actively in progress.
Dothan United
The club confirmed it has an eye on turning pro as USL expansion and pro/rel come into play in 2027. We had previously reported rumors of this (and then removed them from the last update); but now we have confirmation.
Erie Sports Center FC
The club fielded teams in USL2 and USLW in 2025, but are open about their ambitions to turn pro. Erie Sports Center complex owner Troy Bingham confirmed to local media that there are plans to raise investments and continue to develop a stadium at their present facility.
Everett, WA
The city announced plans for the Everett Outdoor Event Center, a dual-purpose stadium that would be the home of the Everett AquaSox minor league baseball team, and “brand-new USL professional soccer teams.” Located in the far north suburbs of Seattle, Everett has a population of about 110,000 people, and is home to Boeing’s Everett Production Facility. The project is still pending final approval by the city, but is currently completing interim and preliminary work in preparation of approval.
Inter New Hampshire
The Blazing Musket confirmed with club President Jeremy Zelanes that he is pursuing a move to USL League One. 2027 would be the soonest, as the club is concentrating on competing in UPSL, building its community of fans, and courting investors. Zelanes also indicated he’d be open to a re-brand, with the name Inter New Hampshire raising some eyebrows.
Lancaster FC
The UPSL side previously indicated a plan to move to USL League One, but the blurb was lost in a website refresh. However, the club still hints there are ambitions to turn professional, especially as pro/rel is implemented in the USL.
Modesto
In September, USL announced a preliminary agreement with the city of Modesto to bring a pro soccer team to the Central Valley of California. Located an hour and a half from Fresno, this could be a USL replacement side for Fuego FC. According to KCRA, the goal is a “multi-purpose stadium for the downtown area,” with “at least 5,000 seats” for professional soccer. This would align with the standard size of new USL League One facilities. In March, city officials reiterated the plans, sharing proposed sites for the stadium, but plans are still being studied at this time.
Montgomery United FC
The US2 previously stated its intent to join USL League One. The city has been on the league’s radar since 2017, but would need a professional level stadium.
New Orleans
In late March, our own
reported on Southeast Soccer Report that a new USL2 club in New Orleans has open ambitions of going professional with USL League One. The exact timeline would be dependent on the success at the USL2 level, finding a suitable stadium and investments.Pensacola
In March, the league announced the intent to bring men’s and women’s soccer to downtown Pensacola. The project is in the negotiation and exploration phase.
Peoria City
We previously reported the Illinois-based USL2 club had professional aspirations based on a few tips, but the hype ended up being channeled towards the club’s establishment of a women’s side. However, we’ve received new information from club insiders stating that the pursuit of a professional jump is indeed in play. The USL2 side boasts strong attendance in a smaller market (metro population 402,000), and currently plays at Bradley University’s Shea Stadium, a 3,800 capacity soccer-specific facility.
Real Central NJ
Reliable sources indicated last year that this project is very much alive, although the key foundations are still coming together. Currently in USL2, the club plays at Ben Cohen Field on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, but would likely pursue a new complex somewhere in Mercer County ahead of a jump to USL League One. While the project is active and progressing, it is still in the early stages, indicating a jump in 2027 or 2028 if things go well.
Reno
News broke last Summer of a group trying to build a 6,500 capacity stadium in Reno with the intentions of attracting USL League One expansion. The group, For Our Fans Foundation, intended to privately fund a stadium for lease to a new club. However, the plan ran into neighborhood opposition, and was voted down by the Washoe County Open Space & Regional Parks Commission. With the amount of funding said to be available by the group (upwards of $40 million), we don’t think we’ve heard the last of this project.
That’s now two groups trying to lure USL to Reno after the demise of USL Championship side Reno 1868. Another group has been working to transition NISA Nation side Battleborn FC to the professional ranks, with USL League One mentioned as an option alongside MLS Next Pro. Last year, the group got the green light for a 5,000 capacity stadium in north Reno, but the project has not started.
Rochester (MN)
The leaders of Rochester FC told local media they are working on a move to the professional ranks as soon as 2026, and consider it “nearly a done deal.” While there is no word on which league, the current sides compete in USL2, USL Academy and USL W, so the writing is on the wall. There has been no follow up since that time, but it’s one to keep an eye on.
Santa Rosa
The league and the City of Santa Rosa, CA entered an agreement to explore bringing “men’s and women’s professional soccer” to the city located about 55 miles up the 101 from San Francisco. Last month, the city and the league held a community forum, indicating progress. However, a stadium location and ownership group have yet to be identified.
Springfield, MO
Local media reported in December that the city and USL are in discussions to bring a franchise to Springfield as soon as 2026, something that does not seem likely at this time. At last update, the city is doing a feasibility study on a stadium site next to Hammons Field, home of minor league baseball team Springfield Cardinals. As is common in expansion plans, the site would be a “multi-purpose sports and entertainment district,” anchored by the baseball and soccer stadiums. The plans include a soccer stadium with a “minimum of 5,000 seats with the ability to expand to 10,000 seats.” The talks also included a potential startup of the club ahead of the stadium, playing in a temporary facility at Missouri State.
Wilmington
Local media provided a brief update in February, reiterating the need for more investment to make the project work. Founder Dewan Bader did say that a lead investor had been secured, but would not provide any further details. He also indicated that more investors would be needed to reach the threshold required to start and operate a professional team. The group is also considering other locations and other leagues outside of USL.
The planned use of Legion Stadium has also become a concern, because of other teams using the facility, and permanent football markings being placed on the new turf. Because of this, the group has been looking at alternative temporary locations, such as UNC Wilmington and nCino Sports Park, while also continuing to find a permanent stadium location.
In the meantime, the website remains online, giving us a glimmer of hope.
Winter Garden
In what may be the most promising development for 2027, the Orlando area expansion project appears to have a complete ownership group and is already pursuing a 5,000 capacity stadium in Winter Garden.
Former Clubs
These are clubs that are still active after departing USL League One. It does not include clubs that departed and ceased all operations or departed to another professional league.
Central Valley Fuego FC
Departing the league following the 2024 season, the club now fields a U-23 side in League for Clubs. Fuego FC is also turning into a proper athletic club, building out its infrastructure and long-planned youth system, including a stadium and field complex and a semi-pro basketball team. We don’t know if they’ll ever return to USL League One, but the organization lives on and we look forward to watching the progress.
Northern Colorado Hailstorm
After a divorce from the USL following the 2024 season, NOCO lives on in the League for Clubs and NISA. It’s doubtful they’d return to the league under current ownership.
FC Tucson
FC Tucson played in USL2 in 2025. When the team self-relegated following the 2022 season, they indicated a desire to eventually return. As of right now, it does not appear that the club has solved the issues that led to the self-relegation, including stadium improvements and increased investment.
Editor’s note: a previous version of this story stated that Boston City would move operations to White Stadium, to be shared with Boston Legacy of the NWSL. This was based on reporting from The Blazing Musket. However, Boston Legacy reached out to us to state that this is not accurate. The portion of the story regarding Boston City has been corrected accordingly.
Have a tip? Want to discuss any of these projects? Reach out via email: leagueoneupdater@gmail.com, or DM me on BlueSky, X or Instagram.
For USL Championship expansion news, keep an eye out on reporting from Beyond the 90, and check out USL Tactics.
For MLS Next Pro expansion news, check out Next Pro News.
I'll once again point out that these are just the ones that we know about, or Alex has been fed info about. There have been multiple teams that have joined L1 that were on basically no one's radar until some rumor popped up and like a week later USL1 announced that a new team was joining the league the next year. Excited to see if we have any more surprises or if Alex has enough agents in place to not get any surprises.
Pleasantly surprised to see more expansion possibilities west of The Rockies than there were in the State of Florida alone. It boggles the mind that we can’t get a L1 team in the SoCal IE… maybe Riverside. Admittedly there’s tons of politics involved between all those cities that make up the IE and they love to stab each other in the back.