Field Set for 2026 USL Championship Playoffs

The bracket for the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs. (source uslchampionship.com)

The regular seasons have concluded, and the fields are officially locked for both the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs and the 2026 USL League One Playoffs. Dramatic final weekends across both leagues settled the remaining wildcard spots and determined home-field advantages, paving a clear single-elimination road to the finals starting this weekend. 

USL Championship: Rowdies Claim Silverware, Fixed Bracket Locked

In the USL Championship, the Tampa Bay Rowdies secured the No. 1 overall seed and the Players' Shield after finishing a stellar campaign at 18-5-7 (61 points). They become the first team in modern league history to take the regular-season crown immediately following a missed postseason the year prior. On the opposite end of the bracket, New Mexico United dramatically snatched away the Western Conference No. 1 seed with a 94th-minute stoppage-time winner against El Paso Locomotive FC on the final day. 

The tournament will feature a rigid, single-elimination fixed bracket format with no re-seeding between rounds. The Conference Quarterfinals kick off on Friday night, October 30. 

2026 USL Championship Playoffs

MD Meyers led Tampa Bay Rowdies with 13 league goals. (photo courtesy of rowdiessoccer.com)

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Friday, October 30

No. 4 Louisville City FC vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

No. 2 Charleston Battery vs. No. 7 Rhode Island FC, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

No. 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. No. 8 Miami FC, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

No. 3 Detroit City FC vs. No. 6 Hartford Athletic, 8 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Golazo Network)

Western Conference Quarterfinals

Friday, October 30

No. 3 El Paso Locomotive FC vs. No. 6 San Antonio FC, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Sunday, November 1

No. 4 Lexington SC vs. No. 5 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 2 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

No. 1 New Mexico United vs. No. 8 Phoenix Rising FC, 6 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

No. 2 Sacramento Republic FC vs. No. 7 FC Tulsa, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Greg Hurst led New Mexico United with 12 league goals. (photo courtesy of New Mexico United)

The Conference Semifinals are slated for November 6–8, followed by the Conference Finals on November 13–15. The 2026 USL Championship Final will air live on the CBS Television Network on Saturday, November 21.

Ihsan Sacko led the league and Phoenix Rising FC with 17 goals. (photo courtesy of gophnx.com)

2026 USL Championship Final Hosting Priority

1. Tampa Bay Rowdies (61pts)

2. Charleston Battery (53pts)

3. New Mexico United (52pts)

4. Detroit City FC (51pts / 52% In-Conference Win Pct.)

5. Sacramento Republic FC (51pts / 41.7% In-Conference Win Pct.)

6. El Paso Locomotive FC (50pts)

7. Lexington SC (48pts)

8. Louisville City FC (47pts / 40% In-Conference Win Pct.)

9. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (47pts / 37.5% In-Conference Win Pct.)

10. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (45pts / 12 In-Conference Wins)

11. San Antonio FC (45pts / 9 In-Conference Wins)

12. Hartford Athletic (43pts / 10 In-Conference Wins)

13. FC Tulsa (43pts / 8 In-Conference Wins)

14. Rhode Island FC (42pts)

15. Phoenix Rising FC (40pts)

16. Miami FC (39pts)

Rubio Rubin led El Paso Locomotiv with 16 goals. (photo courtesy of El Paso Locomotive)