Crown Legacy FC Announces 2023 Regular Season Schedule for Inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Season

CLFC will play 28 matches against Eastern Conference opponents and has been placed in the Northeast Division

Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, March 14, 2022)- Crown Legacy FC and MLS NEXT Pro today announced the league’s 2023 regular season schedule.

Crown Legacy FC will kick off its inaugural season against Huntsville City FC, Nashville SC’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, on Sunday, March 26 at 3:00 p.m. at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews. For tickets to CLFC’s home opener click here.

Season tickets are on sale now starting at $140 ($10 per match), for more information click here. Single match tickets are also available for $15. For single match tickets click here.

Crown Legacy FC will play 28 matches in 2023, 14 home and 14 away, against a regionalized schedule of Eastern Conference opponents. All home matches will be hosted at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews.

Most matches will be played on either Fridays or Sundays and should never conflict with Charlotte FC matches, except under extreme circumstances. Currently, there are no scheduled conflicts.

The majority of CLFC matches will be available live and on-demand on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app including Crown Legacy’s inaugural match against Huntsville City FC and Decision Day match against Toronto FC II on Sunday, September 24. The remainder of regular season matches will stream live on mlsnextpro.com.

Following the home opener, CLFC will host FC Cincinnati 2 at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex on Friday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. before traveling north to face New York Red Bulls II on Friday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. for its first road match of the season.

Fans will be able to see first team rivalries brew in the MLS NEXT Pro ranks as Crown Legacy FC will face both Huntsville City FC and Atlanta United 2 three times each this season. CLFC will host Huntsville on March 26 and May 19 while ATL2 comes to the Queen City on July 9. CLFC will host its final home match of the season on Sunday, September 17 against New England Revolution II.

In 2023, MLS NEXT Pro will also feature an expanded playoff format that includes a pick-your-opponent element in the first two rounds. Seven clubs from each conference, the two division champions and the five clubs with the next highest points total, will qualify for the postseason. The higher seeds within each conference will be able to choose their opponent in the first two rounds of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. For full playoff information click here.

Fans of Crown Legacy FC will also see new rules not typically seen within Major League Soccer’s regular season landscape. The most notable rule being that no matches in MLS NEXT Pro end in a draw. If a match is still tied after 90 minutes, each team will earn one point and will have a shootout using kicks from the penalty mark to award an additional point. For a full explanation of all the rules unique to MLS NEXT Pro click here.

For the full Crown Legacy FC Inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Schedule, see below.