Defending champions open 2023 on the road; Lexington, Knoxville face off in first-ever pro contest
TAMPA, Fla. – USL League One on Thursday announced the home openers for the 2023 season, with the fifth campaign set to kick off with a trio of intriguing matchups in the league’s opening weekend in mid-March.
The 2023 season will begin on Friday, March 17 with North Carolina FC hosting reigning champion South Georgia Tormenta FC – the first time a new season has commenced with the defending league champion in action. The opening weekend will be rounded out with a Saturday doubleheader featuring contests between a pair of 2022 playoff sides in the Charlotte Independence and Richmond Kickers, and 2023 expansion sides One Knoxville SC and Lexington SC. The latter contest will mark Knoxville’s first professional match after its offseason move up from USL League Two and Lexington’s inaugural league contest.
An enticing trio of home openers feature on the second weekend of the season, including contests on Saturday, March 25 between the top two regular-season finishers as Greenville Triumph SC hosts the Kickers. Tormenta FC, meanwhile, will host a rematch of the 2022 USL League One Playoffs Quarterfinals against the Independence on the same night.
2022 runner-up Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, meanwhile, will open its home slate against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC as former Red Wolves forward and current Hailstorm Head Coach Éamon Zayed leads his squad into Chattanooga.
Beyond the opening month of action, the 2022 regular-season champion Kickers will face off against the Independence once again on Saturday, April 1, and Lexington SC will bring professional soccer to Lexington, Ky. for the first time on Saturday, April 8 as the expansion side hosts Forward Madison FC.
Rounding out the 2023 home openers will be Northern Colorado, as the Hailstorm host fellow second-year side Central Valley Fuego FC in the fourth edition of the Ice and Fire Cup.
The full 2023 League One schedule will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 11
Friday, March 17
North Carolina FC vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC
Saturday, March 18
Charlotte Independence vs. Richmond Kickers
One Knoxville SC vs. Lexington SC
Wednesday, March 22
Central Valley Fuego FC vs. North Carolina FC
Saturday, March 25
Greenville Triumph SC vs. Richmond Kickers
South Georgia Tormenta FC vs. Charlotte Independence
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC
Sunday, March 26
Union Omaha vs. Forward Madison FC
Saturday, April 1
Richmond Kickers vs. Charlotte Independence
Saturday, April 8
Lexington SC vs. Forward Madison FC
Saturday, April 15
Forward Madison FC vs. Greenville Triumph SC
Saturday, May 27
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC vs. Central Valley Fuego FC