ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (Dec. 16, 2025) – The USL Championship announced today the full schedule for the 2026 season, with the Tampa Bay Rowdies set to kick off their tenth season in the league away to Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday, March 7.
The Rowdies will make their return to Al Lang Stadium for their 2026 Home Opener on Saturday, March 21 against last year’s USL Championship Final winners, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
Each USL Championship club will play 30 regular season matches, with the top eight teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences at the end of the campaign qualifying for the single-elimination postseason starting on the final weekend of October. USL Championship newcomers Sporting Club Jacksonville and Brooklyn FC join the Rowdies in the 13-team Eastern Conference.
The remaining four matches of the Rowdies 34-match slate in 2026 will be made up of four group stage matches in the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup, an interleague tournament contested between teams from the USL Championship and USL League One. Teams will be split across seven regional groups for this year’s tournament, with the top team from each group and one wild card team advancing to a single-elimination knockout round. The Rowdies have been placed in a group with fellow USL Championship sides Miami FC and Sporting Club JAX, and USL League One’s FC Naples, Sarasota Paradise, and South Georgia Tormenta FC. The Rowdies begin their quest to claim the cup in a home matchup against Sarasota on Saturday, April 25.
The 2026 USL Championship season will be the third in the league’s four-year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports, with games also set to air nationally on ESPN Networks, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, ESPN+ and TUDN. A full broadcast schedule will be announced following the release of the 2026 USL Championship schedule.
Fans can lock in their seats for every match at Al Lang Stadium in 2026 by becoming a season ticket member today. Season ticket members enjoy the best savings on tickets and exclusive discounts on merchandise and concessions, as well as other benefits. Visit rowdiessoccer.com/seasontickets or call 727-222-2000 to learn more.
2026 Tampa Bay Rowdies Schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| March 7 | at Birmingham Legion FC |
| March 21 | vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC |
| March 28 | vs Loudoun United FC |
| April 4 | at Sporting Club JAX |
| April 11 | vs Oakland Roots SC |
| April 18 | at Charleston Battery |
| April 25* | vs Sarasota Paradise |
| May 2 | vs Indy Eleven |
| May 9 | at Rhode Island FC |
| May 16* | at Miami FC |
| May 20 | at New Mexico United |
| May 23 | vs Phoenix Rising FC |
| May 30 | at Louisville City FC |
| June 6* | at Sporting JAX |
| June 10 | vs Charleston Battery |
| June 13 | vs Hartford Athletic |
| June 20 | at Brooklyn FC |
| July 4 | vs Lexington SC |
| July 11* | vs FC Naples |
| July 25 | at Miami FC |
| August 1 | vs Louisville City FC |
| August 8 | at Orange County SC |
| August 15 | Rhode Island FC |
| August 22 | at Detroit City FC |
| August 29 | at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC |
| September 5 | vs Brooklyn FC |
| September 12 | at Hartford Athletic |
| September 16 | @Loudoun United |
| September 19 | vs Birmingham Legion FC |
| September 26 | at San Antonio FC |
| October 3 | vs Miami FC |
| October 10 | at Indy Eleven |
| October 17 | vs Detroit City FC |
| October 24 | Sporting Club JAX |
