Last year we tracked the teams being added to (and leaving) the MLS, now defunct NASL, USL, and PDL. This year we've added a few leagues to the mix with the USL re branding it’s leagues to USL Championship, League One, and League Two along with adding in NPSL on the men’s side of things. We are also adding Women’s soccer to the mix with the WPSL and UWS expansion also being tracked!

Below you’ll find Additions and Departures broken down by league. Stay tuned as we’ll keep you updated.

Additions

Major League Soccer (+1)

1. FC Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) - 5/29/18

USL Championship (Formerly USL: +7)

1. Austin Bold FC (Elroy, TX) - 8/9/17
2. Birmingham Legion FC (Birmingham, AL) - 8/9/17
3. Memphis 901 FC (Memphis, TN) - 1/8/18
4. El Paso Locomotive FC (El Paso, TX) - 3/1/18
5. New Mexico United - 6/7/18
6. Hartford Athletic (Hartford, CT) - 7/11/18
7. Loudoun United FC (Washington D.C.) - 7/18/18

USL League One (+10)

1. South Georgia Tormenta FC (From PDL: Statesboro, GA) - 1/25/18
2. FC Tucson (From PDL: Tucson, AZ) - 2/6/18
3. Greenville Triumph SC (Greenville, SC) - 3/13/18
4. Forward Madison FC (Madison, WI) - 5/17/18
5. Toronto FC II (From USL: Toronto, ON) - 7/2/18
6. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (Chattanooga, TN) - 8/1/18
7. Orlando City B (Was on Hiatus: Montverde, FL) - 9/6/18
8. Richmond Kickers (From USL: Richmond, VA) - 9/11/18
9. Lansing Ignite FC (Lansing, MI) - 10/25/18
10. North Texas SC (Frisco, TX) - 11/2/18

USL League Two (Formerly PDL: +5)

1. Discoveries SC (Rock Hill SC) - 3/8/18
2. Florida Elite Soccer Academy (Jacksonville, FL) - 4/5/18
3. Wake FC (Wake County, NC) - 4/30/18
4. Cedar Stars Rush (Bergen County, NJ) - 9/19/18
5. Green Bay USL League Two (Ashwaubenon, WI) - 10/27/18

National Premier Soccer League (+4)

1. Los Angeles United FC (Los Angeles, CA) - 7/10/18
2. Denton Diablos (Denton, TX) - 9/30/18
3. Stockton FC (Stockton, CA) - 11/19/18
4. High Desert Elite FC (Adelanto, CA) - 12/4/18
5. San Ramon FC (San Ramon, CA) - 12/10/18

This season we are also covering the teams being added to both the WPSL (Women’s Premier Soccer League, which you can find out more here) and United Women’s Soccer. Both of those leagues make up the 2nd Tier of the womens’s game in North America behind the National Women’s Soccer League.

Women’s Premier Soccer League (+10)

1. EGA Omaha (Omaha, NE) - 2017
2. Alamo City SC (San Antonio, TX) - 3/17/18
3. Wake FC (Wake County, NC) - 5/3/18
4. Chatham FC (Savannah, GA) - 6/28/18
5. ASC San Diego (San Diego, CA) - 9/6/18
6. CAFC Ospreys (Milford, DE) - 9/20/18
7. Vancouver Island (Victoria, BC) - 10/4/18
8. Indios Denver FC (Englewood, CO) - 10/17/18
9. FC Arizona (Mesa, AZ) - 11/7/18
10. Charlotte Lady Eagles (Charlotte, NC) - 11/19/18

United Women’s Soccer (+1)

1. AFC Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI) - 10/25/18

Departures

USL Championship (Formerly USL: -4)

1. FC Cincinnati (Moved to MLS) - 5/29/18
2. Toronto FC II (Moved from USL) - 7/2/18
3. Richmond Kickers (Moved from USL) - 9/11/18
4. Penn FC (On Hiatus) - 10/8/18

USL League Two (Formerly PDL: -2)

1. Lansing United (Folded) - 10/25/18
2. Myrtle Beach Mutiny (Folded) - 11/27/18

National Premier Soccer League (-1)

1. Kitsap Pumas SC (Folded) - 7/20/18

As of the time I am writing this (11/27/18) USL League Two, NPSL, WPSL, and UWS have not announced their lineups for 2019. When that does happen we will update you with the teams who are departing those leagues. Last year we had also mentioned the Candian Premier League as it will be the Tier 1 league sanctioned by the Candian Soccer Association. The CPL will launch it’s first season in 2019 with seven teams (Cavalry FC, FC Edmonton, Forge FC, HFX Wanderers FC, Pacific FC, Valour FC, and York 9 FC) as Toronto FC, Montreal Impact, and Vancouver Whitecaps will remain in Major League Soccer and Ottawa Fury decided to stay in USL.

Following up on the National Independent Soccer Association from last year. The league currently has just four markets, not teams, announced for a season that they want to take place in the fall of 2019. They also, as of now, have not been granted Division 3 level sanctioning by USSF either.

The NPSL also made a major announcement this fall with the revelation that a Founders Cup tournament will be played in the fall of 2019 followed by a Pro League in 2020. You can check out the story by our own Dominic José Bisogno here for more info on the upcoming competitions.

With all expansion pretty much said and done MLS will have 24 teams in the league for it’s 24th season, a very fitting number. The USL Championship continues it’s seemingly consitent expansion with a net gain of 3 teams to go from 33 to 36 teams in 2019. And last but not least USL League One will start its inagural season in 2019 with a total of 10 Teams.

Above (Men’s) and below (Women’s) are maps of the currently announced expansion teams for 2019.