The Charlotte Independence joined the United Soccer League (USL) Championship as an expansion team in September 2014, before switching to USL League One ahead of the 2022 season. An ownership group led by Jim McPhilliamy acquired the USL franchise rights from the Charlotte Eagles. McPhilliamy and his investment group founded Queen City Sports Club with the goal of making Charlotte a better place to live through annual increases in both the quality and quantity of events that are provided for the community.
ABOUT USL LEAGUE ONE
USL League One is one of the most prominent Division III professional soccer leagues in the world, with teams ranging from Washington state all the way to Southern Florida.
USL League One was announced as the new third tier league on April 2, 2017, with play slated to begin in 2019. The league began on March 29, 2019 with 10 teams competing in the league’s inaugural season. The Independence joined in 2022, along with the Central Valley Fuego and Northern Colorado Hailstorm as the league rose to 11 teams, following a pair of club departures. As of 2026, the league sits at 17 members with four more expansion clubs to join for the 2027 season, with two more joining the following year in 2028.
USL HISTORY
The USL was formed when two existing professional leagues were combined into a single league property before the 2011 season. The league was designed to help ensure the long-term stability of professional soccer in North America, and featured 12 teams in a pair of six-team divisions during its initial campaign. Among the league’s founding members are five longtime USL clubs with more than 100 years of operation among them – the Charleston Battery, Harrisburg City Islanders, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers and Rochester Rhinos. In January of 2017, after a thorough application review process, the U.S. Soccer Federation granted the USL Division II status beginning in the 2017 season, recognizing the significant investment and high level of operating excellence of the USL and its member clubs. In April 2017, USL League One was founded and became the third tier in the American soccer pyramid with play beginning in 2019.
