The Charleston Battery, who compete in the Division 2 United Soccer League, unveiled affiliations with three Premier Development League franchises for the 2017 season on Tuesday.
South Georgia Tormenta FC, the Tri-Cities Otters and the Myrtle Beach Mutiny will work together with the USL club, which will help the three teams with youth camps, share best practices for ticket and merchandise sales and more. With the Battery's announcement, 13* PDL franchises are now owned and operated by a Major League Soccer or USL club, or holding a partnership with an MLS or USL club.
“We’re pleased to formally partner with the three PDL clubs,” Battery Vice President Mike Kelleher said. “The Battery and the USL have grown tremendously over the last couple of years and these agreements fit into the overall plan we have for the Club moving forward. The PDL partnerships allow us to continue to expand our scouting network and community reach beyond the Charleston area.”
As part of the partnerships, the three PDL franchises will send at least two players to the Battery for trials on Jan. 27-28.
*This post has been updated.