TAMPA, Fla. – League Two, the USL’s elite pre-professional league for men, has announced its divisional realignment for the 2024 season.
“We could not be more excited for the start of the 2024 USL League Two season,” USL SVP of Youth and Pre-Professional Properties, Joel Nash, said. “Every year, our divisions continue to get stronger, and our footprint increases. It gives players, coaches and executives from all over the country the opportunity to be a part of a high-level soccer organization in their own backyards.”
USL League Two will feature 18 different divisions, grouped into four conferences. Each team will play 10 to 14 regular season games before the playoffs begin in July. Full details on the season schedule and playoffs will be released on Thursday, February 15.
BIG ADDITIONS
League Two is adding 20 expansion teams this season, to raise the total number to a USL-record 128 teams. The Seattle area in particular is seeing rapid growth, as West Seattle Junction, Midlakes United and Tacoma Stars join defending champions Ballard FC in the Emerald City.
The Eastern Conference now has 40 clubs, including newcomers Salem City and Charlottesville Blues. The Southern Conference will welcome seven newcomers including Hill Country Lobos, Athens United, and Inter Gainesville KF.
COMPETITION STRUCTURE UPDATE
New in the 2024 season, a Qualifying Round will be introduced to the Eastern Conference quadrant of the USL League Two Playoffs at the end of the season. The Eastern Conference will have 40 clubs participate in the 2024 season, while the next-largest conference (Western) contains 32 clubs.
Five divisional winners (Mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake, South Atlantic, Northeast and Metropolitan) will all receive an automatic bid. Six additional teams, including the second-place teams in each division and the third-place team with the highest league points per game total between Northeast and Metropolitan will gain entry to the Qualifying Round. The three winners of the matches in that round will enter the full bracket in the Round of 32. Their matchups in the Round of 32 will be determined by factoring in travel distance and points per game.
A full breakdown of this year’s divisions:
* - Denotes expansion club for 2024 season
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