2021 USL Championship season


The 2021 USL Championship season was the eleventh season of the USL Championship and the fifth season under Division II sanctioning. This was the third season under the name "USL Championship", having used the name "United Soccer League" through 2018. The 2021 season saw 31 teams participate in four divisions during the regular season.

Changes from 2020

Expansion clubs
Departing clubs

Teams

The following teams are playing in the 2021 USL Championship season:
TeamLocationStadiumCapacityHead coachMLS affiliate / ownership
Atlanta United 2Kennesaw, GeorgiaFifth Third Bank Stadium8,318

Competition format

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some changes from the most recent pre-COVID format involving two stand alone conferences. For this season, each of the conferences will be further split into two divisions, Atlantic and Central in the Eastern Conference and Mountain and Pacific in the Western Conference, creating four geographically based divisions of 8 teams. The teams will play a 32-game schedule in a 27-week period starting around May 1. Individual teams can start their seasons between April 24 and May 15, based on crowd restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the regular season, each team will play its division opponents four times – twice home, twice away, for a total of 28 games, making up the bulk of each team's season. The remaining games in each teams schedule will be played against regional or cross-conference opponents.

Average home attendances

Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
Team
Louisville City FC16161,40612,1157,65210,088
New Mexico United16125,62710,4185,3777,852
Sacramento Republic FC16117,4869,9832,3137,343
Phoenix Rising FC16111,9419,2364,9956,996
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC16100,3358,0234,7926,271
El Paso Locomotive FC16192,1108,1384,6886,141
Indy Eleven1690,4847,9991,9995,655
Las Vegas Lights FC16655,2047,2982,2195,520
Birmingham Legion FC16654,34411,1052,3635,434
San Antonio FC1677,3116,5163,7354,832
Hartford Athletic1673,7025,5002,7504,606
Memphis 901 FC1665,2025,4253,0294,075
San Diego Loyal SC16159,2956,0002,0003,953
Oakland Roots SC16541,7075,5088133,792
Tampa Bay Rowdies1660,0526,8821,8703,753
Orange County SC1656,5925,7402,0423,537
FC Tulsa1655,6165,0092,3023,476
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC16146,9883,1152,0033,133
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros1648,4754,4402,1953,030
Charleston Battery16141,1363,7382,0242,742
OKC Energy FC1636,1683,6771,5792,261
Charlotte Independence1632,1474,2315332,009
Real Monarchs1620,0171,8187631,251
Tacoma Defiance1617,8901,9938111,118
Austin Bold FC1615,0361,577531940
Atlanta United 21611,9441,421612747
Miami FC1696,2931,083418699
Loudoun United FC1629,2131,126310658
New York Red Bulls II168,496803369531
LA Galaxy II160000
Sporting Kansas City II160000
Total4961,654,55312,115310 or 2463,336 or 4,138

1 One result missing/Played behind closed doors
2 Two results missing/Played behind closed doors
5 Five results missing/Played behind closed doors
6 Six results missing/Played behind closed doors
9 Nine results missing/Played behind closed doors
Updated to games of June 18, 2021.
Note: Stadium capacities are reduced to promote social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
*Statistic may be incorrect due to no official attendance being released by neither the league nor club for one or more game; average attendances do not include the unreported matches.

Regular season statistical leaders

Hat-tricks

;Notes
– Home team
– Away team