# USL expansion: source notes

Checked September 11, 2026. These are announced or directly stated plans, not completed seasons or a guaranteed future membership list. The map carries the 2026 participants forward, applies the documented moves below, and adds dated plans when their intended playing season arrives. Future closures, promotions, relegations and unannounced reserve squads are not predicted.

## Included plans

| Intended debut | Club / market | Intended division | Evidence and qualification |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2027 | Atlético Dallas | Championship | [USL’s June 1, 2026 sanctioning application](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1362050) includes Dallas. The [Cotton Bowl announcement](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1341035) places the home in Dallas rather than the original Garland proposal. |
| 2027 | Sporting Cascades FC | League One | Included in that application. The [club’s May 21, 2026 venue announcement](https://www.sportingcascades.com/news/2026/05/21/sporting-cascades-fc-officially-announces-civic-park-as-2027-home/) identifies Eugene’s Civic Park and says final sanctioning is pending. |
| 2027 | Port St. Lucie SC | League One | Included in the application. The [current ticket FAQ](https://www.portstluciesc.com/ticket-deposits-faqs/) distinguishes an interim 2027 home from the permanent stadium’s expected 2028 opening. The interim venue remains unannounced; the map uses the named city. |
| 2027 | Fort Lauderdale United FC | League One | Included in the application. The [August 20, 2026 club statement](https://www.ftlutd.com/news/2026/08/20/fort-lauderdale-united-fc-and-amerant-bank-unveil-amerant-bank-field-at-nova-southeastern-university/) reiterates the men’s 2027 debut and identifies the home venue as Amerant Bank Field at Nova Southeastern University. The [match guide](https://www.ftlutd.com/match-day-guide/) locates it in Davie. |
| 2027 | Thousand Oaks, club name TBA | League One | Oak Sports Holding’s market is included in the June application. No permanent club name or crest is assumed. |
| 2027 | New England Force | League Two | [The league’s September 8, 2026 announcement](https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1366162) identifies Pembroke, Massachusetts, and a 2027 Northeast Division start. This is distinct from existing New England FC / NEFC. |
| 2028 | OKC United | Championship | [The July 15, 2026 identity announcement](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1363795) gives the new club name, crest and intended 2028 Championship debut. The [December 2025 stadium update](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1350968) had already shifted the professional return to 2028. The proposed 2027 under-23 celebration season does not establish a League Two membership. |
| 2028 | USL Long Island, club name TBA | League One | [The August 19, 2026 league award](https://www.uslleagueone.com/news_article/show/1365250) specifies 2028 and Hofstra University’s James M. Shuart Stadium, subject to final league and federation sanctioning. Club identity and crest remain to be announced. |
| 2028 | Ozark United FC | Championship | In [KUAF’s June 19, 2026 interview](https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2026-06-19/ozark-united-fc-pushes-pro-soccer-timeline-back-to-2028), managing director Wes Harris explains the revised 2028 men’s target and stadium plan. The [club FAQ](https://www.ozarkunited.com/faqs/) identifies the Championship project. This is flagged as a club target rather than a finalized season assignment. |

The five clubs in the June 2026 application have applied for sanctioning; that is not the same as final federation approval. All future years remain labeled as plans in the tool. Geographic anchors are approximate home municipality centers, consistent with the historical map. Map colors aid distinction and are not presented as an official brand palette specification.

## Existing clubs changing division

- **Athletic Club Boise:** the [September 9, 2026 announcement](https://www.uslleagueone.com/news_article/show/1366442) confirms the move from League One to the Championship for 2027. Retain the same identity and location; do not draw a second Boise team.
- **Fort Lauderdale United:** the existing League Two identity is used for the 2027 professional plan. The future scenario does not assume an additional concurrent League Two reserve squad without an announcement. This club is unrelated to Inter Miami’s former **Fort Lauderdale CF**, which played in League One in 2020–21.
- **USL Premier:** the [January 27, 2026 announcement](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1354227) establishes a planned 2028 league, but leaves inaugural club selection for later. The map does not invent Premier membership, promotion results or a wholesale reassignment of Championship teams.

## Plans intentionally left out of dated map layers

| Project | Why no new 2027/2028 map entry is assigned |
| --- | --- |
| Santa Barbara Sky FC | [Noozhawk’s August 28, 2026 report of the club statement](https://www.noozhawk.com/santa-barbara-sky-fc-postpones-inaugural-season-now-searching-for-ownership-group/) says the 2027 debut was postponed without a replacement date while the project seeks ownership following unsuccessful stadium negotiations. This newer statement supersedes the older March 2027 promise still visible on the club’s website. |
| Reno City FC | The [official launch FAQ](https://renocityfc.com/pages/reno-pro-soccer-faq) leaves the debut date to be announced after construction details. [September 9 local coverage](https://www.kolotv.com/2026/09/10/reno-city-fc-newest-professional-soccer-team-northern-nevada-reveals-official-identity/) describes 2028 as tentative. The new Reno City identity is real, but an undated official plan is not converted into a definite season. It is not the former Reno 1868 FC. |
| Rodeo SC, Celina | The [current club ticket FAQ](https://www.rodeosc.pro/ticket-faq/) says a debut date is still to be confirmed and acknowledges that the earlier 2027 intention depended on factors still being resolved. The related Texoma League Two team remains its own existing map entry. |
| Buffalo Pro Soccer | [The club’s June 2, 2026 update](https://www.buffaloprosoccer.com/news/2026/06/02/a-letter-from-buffalo-pro-soccer-founder-president-peter-marlette-jr-to-founding-members-and-club-supporters/) explicitly rules out 2027 and gives no replacement season. |
| Milwaukee Pro Soccer | The [club news archive](https://www.milwaukeeprosoccer.com/news) still ends with its November 2023 announcement of a 2026 debut. No verified replacement 2027/2028 playing date was found. The lack of an updated date is not treated as evidence that the project has permanently closed. |
| USL New Orleans | The [original league partnership announcement](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1232585) described an intention to start by 2025. No current, verified replacement 2027/2028 playing date was found. |
| AC Grand Rapids | [The club’s own ticket page](https://www.acgrandrapids.com/tickets/) identifies its 2027 debut as **MLS NEXT Pro**, outside the USL leagues covered here. Historical Grand Rapids FC is a different club. |
| Toledo professional proposal | [April 2026 reporting on the filed proposal](https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/mud-hens/2026/04/14/new-filings-show-what-toledo-s-soccer-stadium-ballpark-upgrades/stories/20260414109) describes a stadium goal for 2028–29 and a League One expansion letter of intent contingent on funding. This does not establish an awarded club with a confirmed 2028 playing debut. Existing Toledo Villa remains in League Two. |
| Salem City FC professional ambition | A [June 2026 club social post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZV_VpWDps1/) and [July local coverage](https://newsletter.thegotowinstonsalem.com/p/july-7-2026) discuss going professional in 2028. A specific awarded professional division and debut have not been verified. [The existing club](https://salemcityfc.com/) therefore carries forward in League Two in this scenario. |

This list records the researched exclusions that are most likely to be confused with definite expansion. It is not a list of every city expressing interest in USL. Dates should be refreshed as new league and club announcements replace the evidence above.

## Club marks

Known club marks are sourced from league or club websites. Unnamed Thousand Oaks and Long Island receive text initials, not speculative crests. OKC uses the announced **OKC United** identity rather than the old Energy FC crest. Club marks belong to their respective owners; the map does not claim to own or license them. Asset source URLs are recorded separately in `/data/usl-expansion-logo-sources.json`.