Rhode Island FC to compete in expanded 13-team Eastern Conference
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (Dec. 10, 2025) – The USL Championship today announced its competition structure for the 2026 season, with 25 clubs set to begin their pursuit of a place in the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs when the regular season kicks off on Saturday, March 7. Rhode Island FC will compete in the new-look Eastern Conference in 2026, which includes expansion clubs Sporting Club Jacksonville and Brooklyn FC.
The 34-week regular season campaign will conclude on Saturday, October 24, with the postseason kicking off the following weekend.
The 2026 USL Championship regular season will see the league split into Eastern and Western Conferences with 13 teams in the Eastern Conference and 12 teams in the Western Conference. Expansion clubs Brooklyn FC and Sporting Jacksonville SC will each join the Eastern Conference for the new season (full alignment below).
Each club in the Eastern Conference will play 24 or 25 games against in-conference opposition, and five or six games against Western Conference opposition to complete a 30-game regular season schedule. Each club in the Western Conference will play 24 games against in-conference opposition, and six games against Eastern Conference opposition to complete a 30-game regular season schedule.
The 2026 USL Championship season will be the third in the league’s four-year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports, with games also set to air nationally on ESPN Networks, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, ESPN+ and TUDN. A full broadcast schedule will be announced following the release of the 2026 USL Championship schedule.
2026 USL Championship Conference Alignment
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
| Birmingham Legion FC | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC |
| Brooklyn FC | El Paso Locomotive FC |
| Charleston Battery | Las Vegas Lights FC |
| Detroit City FC | Lexington SC |
| Hartford Athletic | Monterey Bay FC |
| Indy Eleven | New Mexico United |
| Loudoun United FC | Oakland Roots SC |
| Louisville City FC | Orange County SC |
| Miami FC | Phoenix Rising SC |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Sacramento Republic FC |
| Rhode Island FC | San Antonio FC |
| Sporting Club Jacksonville | FC Tulsa |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies |
2026 USL Championship Playoffs
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference will qualify for the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs, which will kick off on the weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2026.
The USL Championship Playoffs will remain a single-elimination and fixed bracket format. The postseason will conclude with the 2026 USL Championship Final on the CBS Television Network between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22, 2026, with more details to be announced in the coming weeks.
For Rhode Island FC news and updates, visit rhodeislandfc.com, download the official team app, and follow the club on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
