ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you miss some professional soccer in the Tampa Bay area, here's another thing that will get you even more eager for its return.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Monday its schedule for the 2024 USL Championship Season.
The year kicks off with a home game on March 16 at Al Lang Stadium against San Antonio FC – who were crowned champions in 2022.
Tampa Bay's last game of the regular season will also be at home as the team takes on Indy Eleven on Oct. 26.
In total, the Rowdies will play 17 games at Al Lang Stadium. All but one of them will be played on a Saturday night.
Fans who want to secure their spot at the home opener can do so by purchasing a season ticket package that is available now. New or existing members will receive an exclusive gift, discounts on merchandise, priority playoff seating and other perks, the team says.
The USL Championship will once again be separated into Eastern and Western conferences with 12 teams in each conference.
"Each club will play its fellow conference opponents once at home and once on the road, and also play each of the 12 teams from the opposing conference – six games at home, six away – to make up the rest of the 34-game schedule," the team described in a news release.
At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference will advance to the playoffs. Those games are scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 1-3. The playoffs will also remain as a single-elimination format with a fixed bracket.
For the first time, fans will be able to watch the postseason on CBS.
"The 2024 USL Championship season will mark the first in the league’s new historic four-year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports, through which USL Championship contests will air on network television for the first time," the Rowdies stated.
The date for the USL Championship Final will either be played on any day between Nov. 21 and Nov. 25.
To learn more about Tampa Bay's 2024 regular season schedule, click here.