2002 PDL season
The 2002 USL Premier Development League season was the 8th PDL season. The season began in April 2002 and ended in August 2002.
Cape Cod Crusaders finished the season as national champions, beating Boulder Rapids Reserve 2–1 in the PDL Championship game. Des Moines Menace finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 15 out of their 18 games, suffering no losses, and finishing with a +49 goal difference.
Changes from 2001
Name changes
- Boulder Nova became Boulder Rapids Reserve
- Lafayette Lightning became Austin Lightning
- San Fernando Valley Heroes became Los Angeles Heroes
New franchises
- Twelve teams joined the league this year, including eight brand new franchises:
| Team name | Metro area | Location | Previous affiliation |
 Promoted
Folding
PlayoffsConference semifinals-------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Conference Finals-------- ---- National Semifinals---- |