FC Dallas announced on Friday that they will be the third Major League Soccer club to become a founding member of USL League One and will field a team during the league’s inaugural season
FC Dallas’ League One team will play regular season games at Toyota Stadium, with some matches likely taking place at an additional location in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
That location, as well as the League One team’s name, coach and logo will be announced at a future date.
"USL League One offers an outstanding opportunity for our younger players to compete against quality opponents," FC Dallas president Dan Hunt said in a statement. "Having a second professional team will allow us to create a culture throughout the organization that will help us succeed at every level.”
FC Dallas is one of the MLS leaders in youth development, having signed 23 Homegrown players to MLS contracts while winning two U.S. Soccer Development Academy titles in both the Under-19 age group and U-17 age group.
FC Dallas joins Toronto FC and Orlando City SC to make the commitment to compete in League One next year, joining South Georgia Tormenta FC, FC Tucson, Greenville Triumph SC, Madison Pro Soccer, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, the Richmond Kickers and Lansing Ignite FC as the 10 founding members of the league.
"We are delighted to have FC Dallas join the USL," USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a statement. "For decades, the Hunt family has been at the forefront of growing the game in the United States, and now, they are embracing a tremendous opportunity to strengthen their club and the Dallas-Fort Worth region by launching a team in USL League One."
The USL League One regular season is scheduled to begin the weekend of March 29-31 and conclude the weekend of October 4-6. The 2019 USL League One Playoffs will consist of four teams and begin the weekend of Oct. 11-13. The final match of the postseason will take place from Oct. 17-21.
