The USL Championship will open the 2023 season with a slate of 11 games on the opening weekend of the campaign as the league opens its 13th season on Saturday, March 11. Phoenix Rising will travel to face Charleston Battery that weekend. The club will open its new stadium in the City of Phoenix vs. San Diego Loyal on Saturday, April 1.
The USL Championship’s opening weekend will include marquee matchups featuring postseason rematches and first-time interconference meetings that include defending champions San Antonio FC opening its new season at home at Toyota Field against Oakland Roots SC, one of the sides it defeated in the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs on the way to its first league title.
The opening night of the season also sees another notable playoff rematch as Birmingham Legion FC hosts Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Protective Stadium after the clubs’ epic Eastern Conference Quarterfinal this past October that saw the Hounds advance 8-7 in a penalty shootout after a back-and-forth 2-2 draw at the same venue.
Two other teams that reached the postseason this past fall will meet for the first time in one of the notable interconference matchups to open the campaign with San Diego Loyal SC playing host to Detroit City FC at Torero Stadium. Elsewhere, the 2022 Championship Coach of the Year Ben Pirmann and his new club the Charleston Battery will open the season at home to Phoenix Rising FC as both teams aim to plot a course back to the postseason in 2023.
Other opening weekend highlights include a clash between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Indy Eleven at Al Lang Stadium which will see an immediate return to Tampa Bay for ex-Rowdies captain and new Boys in Blue forward Sebastian Guenzatti. Two former league title winners will also square off as Orange County SC plays host to defending Eastern Conference title winner Louisville City FC at Championship Soccer Stadium.
Following the opening weekend, the opening month of the season features additional intriguing home openers, including Detroit City FC’s return to Keyworth Stadium on Saturday, March 25 to play host to Indy Eleven, and Louisville City FC’s clash with El Paso Locomotive FC led by new Head Coach Brian Clarhaut.
The full 2023 USL Championship schedule will be announced next Monday, Jan. 9, with the 408-game regular season set to conclude on the weekend of October 13-15 ahead of the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs.
Saturday, March 11
Birmingham Legion FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Charleston Battery vs. Phoenix Rising FC
El Paso Locomotive FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC
Memphis 901 FC vs. Loudoun United FC
Miami FC vs. FC Tulsa
Monterey Bay FC vs. Hartford Athletic
Orange County SC vs. Louisville City FC
San Antonio FC vs. Oakland Roots SC
San Diego Loyal SC vs. Detroit City FC
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Indy Eleven
Sunday, March 12
Rio Grande Valley FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Saturday, March 18
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Hartford Athletic
Sacramento Republic FC vs. Charleston Battery
Sunday, March 19
Loudoun United FC vs. San Antonio FC
Friday, March 24
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Miami FC
Saturday, March 25
Detroit City FC vs. Indy Eleven
Hartford Athletic vs. Birmingham Legion FC
Louisville City FC vs. El Paso Locomotive FC
Oakland Roots SC vs. Memphis 901 FC
FC Tulsa vs. Loudoun United FC
Saturday, April 1
Indy Eleven vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Phoenix Rising FC vs. San Diego Loyal SC
Saturday, April 15
New Mexico United vs. San Diego Loyal SC
Friday, May 5
Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Charleston Battery
