ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced today the club has acquired defender Ethan Bartlow on loan from Major League Soccer’s Sporting KC for the remainder of the 2026 USL Championship season. Per club policy, terms of the loan agreement were not disclosed.
Bartlow arrived in Tampa Bay this week and is eligible for selection for the Rowdies Prinx Tires USL Cup Quarterfinals showdown with Louisville City FC on Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. ET.
“We are delighted to add Ethan to improve the quality of our squad and help us continue to get better each day,” said Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato. “He’s excited to be here and compete, so we are looking forward to seeing what he brings to the group.”
Bartlow has made 11 appearances across all competitions for Sporting KC since joining the club ahead of the 2026 MLS season. The 26-year-old defender spent the first five seasons of his professional career with Houston Dynamo, recording 96 appearances and three assists for the MLS side during that stretch. After missing out on most of his rookie season due to injury, Bartlow became a regular starter for Houston in 2023 and helped the club win its second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title that year.
Houston selected Bartlow sixth overall in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft following a standout career at the University of Washington, where he was teammates with Rowdies Defender Charlie Ostrem. The Huskies notched 22 shutouts in Bartlow’s 38 appearances for the program, with the Woodinville, Washington native becoming the school’s first player to be named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Bartlow reinforces the Rowdies defensive line as the club heads into the final third of the regular season aiming to capture the USL Championship Players’ Shield and home field advantage in the playoffs. After knocking off Western Conference leaders Orange County SC 3-0 last week, the Rowdies hold a seven-point advantage in the race for the Players’ Shield with 11 regular season matches left to play.
