USL announces 2022 competition format

Atlanta United 2 and the rest of the USL Championship now know the parameters for the upcoming 2022 season (get out of here, Omicron). The season will commence on March 11 and run through Oct. 15, 2022 and consist of an Eastern and Western Conference. Home openers and full season schedules will be announced in January 2022, according to a USL press release.

Each team will play 34 games in the regular season. All teams will play teams within their own conference twice at home and away. That leaves eight games for Eastern Conference teams to play against Western Conference opposition. Western Conference clubs will play 10 games against both Western and Eastern Conference opponents because the West has fewer teams.

The top seven teams from each conference will play in the USL Championship playoffs, with the first seed in each conference receiving a bye to the Conference Semifinals. Interestingly, the bracket will be reseeded after the Conference quarterfinals so that the top seed plays the lowest-seeded opponent. The playoffs will be a single elimination format. The final will be played sometime between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14.

2022 will see the addition of Detroit City FC and Monterey Bay F.C., with the clubs respectively joining the Eastern and Western Conferences.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlanta United 2

Birmingham Legion

Charleston Battery

Detroit City FC

Hartford Athletic

Indy Eleven

Loudoun United FC

Louisville City FC

Memphis 901 FC

The Miami FC

New York Red Bulls II

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Tampa Bay Rowdies

FC Tulsa

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

El Paso Locomotive FC

LA Galaxy II

Las Vegas Lights FC

Monterey Bay F.C.

New Mexico United

Oakland Roots SC

Orange County SC

Phoenix Rising FC

Rio Grande Valley FC

Sacramento Republic FC

San Antonio FC

San Diego Loyal SC