USL releases schedule for League One and Spokane Velocity FC

by Spokane Velocity FC/Press Release
| December 19, 2023 1:00 AM

SPOKANE — Spokane Velocity FC will play every team in the USL League One at least twice in the 2024 schedule released today by the United Soccer League. The club’s season will include more than 30 total games including regular season and a new in-season cup competition.

The schedule reflects 15 League matches — regular season and League One cup competition — to be held at ONE Spokane Stadium. USL Spokane is scheduling a friendly match with a non-League opponent to round out the 16 home matches in the season ticket package. Additional playoff, tournament or friendly matches may take place in ONE Spokane Stadium during this inaugural season of Spokane Velocity FC soccer.

The club will begin the season with an away game against the Greenville Triumph on March 9 before hosting the Richmond Kickers at home on March 16. The regular season will conclude Oct. 26, when Spokane Velocity FC hosts One Knoxville SC, with the post-season tournament to follow.

Find the Spokane Velocity FC 2024 season schedule here or at https://www.spokanevelocityfc.com/schedule/

“We’re really excited about the balance in the season schedule, with all the teams playing each other twice,” said USL Spokane owner Ryan Harnetiaux. “It’s going to be really awesome to see how rivalries develop in our first year. While there will be natural rivalries with the teams in the western U.S., we expect we’ll see some intense competition with teams from around League One.”

New this season is the League One cup competition, which will incorporate prize money and trophies with matches held throughout the season. For cup play, the League is divided into three groups of four teams each, with the Spokane Velocity FC playing in the West group alongside Union Omaha, Northern Colorado and Central Valley. Each team will play one another twice in addition to playing two matches against non-group teams. Teams will earn three points for a win, one point for a draw (in regulation time), and an extra point for winning a penalty shootout. Group play will determine the three teams that qualify for the knockout round (semifinals and final). The fourth team will be the non-group winning team that scores the most goals, encouraging attacking play.

Most home matches will be played Saturdays with a kickoff of 6 p.m., with some exceptions when game times are announced. There are two Sunday games, May 19 against Forward Madison SC, and June 23 against Lexington Sporting. There will be a Tuesday night home match Aug. 13 against Northern Colorado, and a match Sept. 4 against Omaha.

In this inaugural season, Spokane Velocity FC is planning for every match to bring a soccer atmosphere like Spokane has never experienced, complete with supporter’s group chants, local food options, and special promotions. Fans already can mark their calendars for May 19 — the home match against Madison will be part of the city’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Expo ‘74.

"We already know we'll have a great product on the field," said Phil Harrison, Vice President of Spokane Velocity FC. "But we're really excited to give soccer fans an experience off the field — in the Stadium — that will be engaging, entertaining, memorable and a ton of fun."

While Spokane is the only new team in League One for 2024, the Velocity will play the two newest members of the league, Lexington Sporting and One Knoxville SC, who are entering their second season in USL League One. Lexington will come to Spokane on June 23, and host the Spokane Velocity FC on April 14. The Velocity won’t get a look at OneKnox until later in the season, with the first tilt Aug. 24 in Knoxville before both teams finish the regular season in Spokane on Oct. 26.

Another highlight to the schedule will come March 30, when the club travels east to take on the Charlotte Independence, runner-up in this past season’s League One Championship Game (and hosts Charlotte on July 27). The 2023 League One winner, North Carolina FC, moves up to USL Championship for the 2024 season.

Fans will not want to miss this inaugural season of professional soccer in the beautiful new ONE Spokane Stadium. Spokane currently leads the USL in season ticket sales. Now is the time for fans that have not secured season tickets to do so. Please visit this link to secure your seats. Also, visit www.spokanevelocityfc.com to find the season schedule, more ticket information, stadium seat map, and season ticket member benefits.

Spokane Velocity FC will begin play as a Division III team in USL League One on March 16, 2024, at the new ONE Spokane Stadium. USL Spokane will also field Spokane Zephyr FC, a women’s USL Super League team expected to be sanctioned as a first division team and begin play in August 2024. A pre-professional women’s team made up of elite college players will play in the USL W League. USL Spokane is owned by Aequus Sports LLC; its principals are Katie Harnetiaux, the club president, and Ryan Harnetiaux, both of whom are originally from Spokane.