USL League One
 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing it from being verifiable and neutral. (April 2025) |
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| Organizing body | United Soccer League |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 2, 2017 |
| First season | 2019 |
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North American Football Union) |
| Number of clubs | 17 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | USL Championship (starting 2028) |
| Domestic cup | U.S. Open Cup |
| League cup | USL Cup |
| Current champion(s) | Charlotte Independence (2026) |
| Current Players' Shield | Charlotte Independence (2026) |
| Most championships | Union Omaha (2 titles) |
| Most Players' Shields | Union Omaha (3 titles) |
| Top scorer | Emiliano Terzaghi (58) |
| Broadcasters | |
| Website | uslleagueone.com |
| Current: 2026 season | |
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division 3 league is operated by the United Soccer League, the same group that operates the men's Division 2 USL Championship, women's Division 1 league USL Super League, and other leagues. As of 2026,[update] the league has 17 active teams that are scheduled to play 32 regular-season games, followed by playoffs. All teams also participate in the USL Cup, adding four games, followed by knockout rounds.
History
Early years (2017–2020)
On April 2, 2017, the USL announced that it would launch a new third-division league in 2019, with a minimum of eight clubs and relaxed requirements compared to the second-division USL Championship. The new league had the temporary name USL Division III (USL D3). The league announced that they would target cities with a population of 150,000 to one million, mostly in cities currently without a professional team.
South Georgia Tormenta FC was unveiled as the first founding member on January 25, 2018, followed by FC Tucson, Greenville Triumph SC, Madison, Wisconsin, Toronto FC II, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Richmond Kickers. The tenth and final founding member was the reserve team of FC Dallas, branded as North Texas SC.
The league filed for Division III status with the USSF on August 14, 2018. Ten founding teams were listed in the application. The USSF sanctioned League One as a Division III league ahead of its 2019 launch. The league shares Division III status with MLS Next Pro.
The first League One game was played on March 29, 2019, when Tormenta FC defeated Greenville Triumph SC 1–0. At the end of the season, Lansing Ignite FC folded.
Departure of MLS reserve teams and first wave of expansion (2020–2022)
For the 2020 season, Union Omaha joined the league. Additionally, the New England Revolution and Inter Miami CF placed reserve teams in the league, bringing the total number of teams to 12.
In June 2021, Major League Soccer announced the creation of a new professional soccer league, MLS Next Pro, which began play in 2022 and would host all of MLS's reserve teams along with some independent teams. Fort Lauderdale CF, New England Revolution II, North Texas SC and Toronto FC II all joined MLS Next Pro after the 2021 League One season. Former League One side Orlando City B joined MLS Next Pro for the inaugural 2022 season following a hiatus that began after the club completed the 2020 League One season.
Central Valley Fuego FC, Charlotte Independence and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC began play in 2022. Following the conclusion of the 2022 regular season, FC Tucson announced a self-relegation back to USL League Two. For 2023, Lexington SC entered as an expansion team, becoming League One's first club based in Kentucky, and One Knoxville SC turned professional after a successful debut season that saw it reach the USL League Two conference finals. Spokane Velocity, announced in October 2022, began play in 2024.
Second wave of expansion (2023–present)
Five expansion clubs began play in 2025. Portland Hearts of Pine, Texoma FC, and AV Alta FC had been announced in autumn 2023, and FC Naples and Westchester SC in 2024.
Lexington SC moved to the USL Championship for the 2025 season. In November 2024, the USL terminated Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC's franchise agreement and parted ways with Central Valley Fuego by mutual decision. Hailstorm and Fuego's U23 team later joined The League for Clubs.
Five clubs joined for the 2026 season. The league granted franchises to Corpus Christi FC and Athletic Club Boise in October 2024, and USL League Two clubs Sarasota Paradise and Fort Wayne FC went fully professional. The fifth, the New York Cosmos, play at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey. The club revived the name of the original Cosmos, which fielded Pelé in the original North American Soccer League. The name had previously been revived in 2010 for the relaunch of the NASL, but that club played only four professional matches after the league folded in 2017 and none since 2020.
Tormenta FC went on hiatus and did not compete in 2026. Texoma dropped to League Two after its inaugural season, with the intention of returning to League One. In September 2026, Boise announced it would move up to the USL Championship for 2027, alongside a stadium expansion.
Four more clubs are planned. Fort Lauderdale United FC, a women's club in the USL Super League, will add a men's team in 2027 after first targeting 2026. Port St. Lucie SC and Sporting Cascades FC are also slated to begin play in 2027. Rodeo SC, started by Texoma's ownership group, is scheduled for 2028 after first targeting 2027.
Teams
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Current, 
Future, and 
Departing teamsFor its 2026 season, seventeen teams will compete in USL League One, including eight in the south and three each in the midwest, northeast, and west. The league operates under a franchise model, where the USL grants a club "franchise rights" to field a team into the league. The minimum salary for a player in the league is $2,200 per month, with no flex contracts like those in the USL Championship being offered.
Of the charter members of its inaugural 2019 season, four continue to play in the league: the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Forward Madison FC, Greenville Triumph SC, and Richmond Kickers. The Charlotte Independence and Kickers previously played in the USL Championship, while Corpus Christi FC, Fort Wayne FC, One Knoxville SC, Sarasota Paradise, and Tormenta moved from USL League Two. The rest of the league's membership are expansion clubs that commenced play in USL League One.
Current clubs
Member departing the league following the 2026 season.
- Notes
Future clubs
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joining | Head coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planned expansion teams | |||||||
| Cascades FC | Eugene, Oregon | Civic Park | 3,500 | 2024 | 2027 |  Darren Sawatzky | |
| Fort Lauderdale United FC | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Beyond Bancard Field | 7,000 | 2025 | 2027 |  Tyrone Mears | |
| Port St. Lucie SC | Port St. Lucie, Florida | Walton & One Stadium | 6,000 | 2025 | 2027 | TBD | |
| Thousand Oaks Pro Soccer | Thousand Oaks, California | TBD | TBD | 2026 | 2027 | TBD | |
| Rodeo SC | Celina, Texas | Bobcat Stadium | 6,500 | 2025 | 2028 | TBD | |
| USL Long Island | Hempstead, New York | James M. Shuart Stadium | 11,929 | 2026 | 2028 | TBD | |
- Notes
Former teams
- Notes
Timeline
Champions
Teams that no longer participate in USL League One are in italics.
| Season | Teams | Playoff champions | Players' Shield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | North Texas SC | North Texas SC |
| 2020 | 11 | Greenville Triumph SC | Greenville Triumph SC |
| 2021 | 12 | Union Omaha | Union Omaha |
| 2022 | 11 | South Georgia Tormenta FC | Richmond Kickers |
| 2023 | 12 | North Carolina FC | Union Omaha |
| 2024 | 12 | Union Omaha | Union Omaha |
| 2025 | 14 | One Knoxville SC | One Knoxville SC |
| 2026 | 17 | Charlotte Independence | Charlotte Independence |
- ↑ Known as "Regular season champions" from 2019 to 2022
- ↑ The 2020 Final was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Greenville was awarded the championship based on points per game.
USL League One Finals
| Season | Champions | Score | Runners–up | Venue | Attendance | MVP | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | North Texas SC | 1–0 | Greenville Triumph SC | Toyota Stadium | 3,245 |  Arturo Rodríguez (NTX) |
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| 2020 | Greenville Triumph SC | Cancelled | Union Omaha | Legacy Early College Field | N/A | N/A | |
| 2021 | Union Omaha | 3–0 | Greenville Triumph SC | Werner Park | 5,221 |  Damià Viader (OMA) |
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| 2022 | South Georgia Tormenta FC | 2–1 | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | Optim Sports Medicine Field | 3,045 | Kazaiah Sterling (TRM) |
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| 2023 | North Carolina FC | 1–1 (5–4 PK) | Charlotte Independence | WakeMed Soccer Park | 4,487 |  Raheem Somersall (NCA) |
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| 2024 | Union Omaha | 3–0 | Spokane Velocity FC | Werner Park | 5,849 | Joe Gallardo (OMA) |
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| 2025 | One Knoxville SC | 2–0 | Spokane Velocity FC | Covenant Health Park | 7,500 | Nico Rosamilia (KNX) |
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| 2026 | Charlotte Independence | 4–2 | Athletic Club Boise | Sportsplex at Matthews | 3,326 |  Souaibou Marou (CLT) |
Attendance
| Season | Teams | League avg. | Playoff avg. | Highest teams | Lowest teams | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | 1,911 | 3,217 | 4,292 (Madison) 3,468 (Richmond) | 168 (Toronto) 203 (Orlando) | |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 2021 | 12 | 1,721 | 3,098 | 3,287 (Omaha) 2,761 (Madison) | 151 (New England) 849 (North Texas) | |
| 2022 | 11 | 2,203 | 2,865 | 4,759 (Madison) 3,551 (Richmond) | 516 (Northern Colorado) 1,041 (South Georgia) | |
| 2023 | 12 | 2,363 | 2,604 | 4,786 (Richmond) 4,310 (Madison) |
735 (Central Valley) 1,322 (South Georgia) |
|
| 2024 | 12 | 2,329 | 3,262 | 4,672 (Richmond) 4,242 (Madison) |
728 (Central Valley) 1,077 (Charlotte) |
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| 2025 | 14 | 2,785 | 3,968 | 5,808 (Portland)
4,369 (Richmond) |
719 (South Georgia)
773 (Charlotte) |
See also
- Soccer in the United States
- Professional sports leagues in the United States
- USL Championship
- USL League Two
- USL W League
- USL Second Division
- National Independent Soccer Association
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