The 2018 USL season was the eighth season of the United Soccer League and second under Division II sanctioning. The previous season, the USL had provisional Div. II sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) along with the North American Soccer League, but was given full sanctioning for the 2018 season with a two-year deadline to meet the full requirements set by U.S. Soccer.

Louisville City FC were the defending USL Cup champions, while Real Monarchs were the defending Supporters’ Shield champions.

This season was the last for four teams in the USL, with all changing leagues for 2019 and beyond. FC Cincinnati will join Major League Soccer. MLS side Toronto FC announced that its reserve side, Toronto FC II, would drop to USL League One, a third-level league slated to launch in 2019, and the Richmond Kickers also chose to drop to League One for 2019 and beyond. Near the end of the season, Penn FC announced that it would suspend professional operations for 2019 and resume play in League One in 2020.

It was also the final season for the league under the "United Soccer League" name. Effective with the 2019 season, the league has been rebranded as the USL Championship.

Changes from 2017 Expansion Atlanta United 2 Fresno FC Las Vegas Lights FC Nashville SC

Joined from NASL Indy Eleven North Carolina FC

On hiatus Orlando City B During the 2018 season, City B's MLS parent, Orlando City SC, announced that City B would resume play in 2019 as a founding member of USL League One. Rochester Rhinos During the 2018 season, the Rhinos announced they would not return to the USL's top flight. The team will not resume professional operations until the 2020 season, at which time it will join USL League One.

Folded Vancouver Whitecaps 2

Rule changes Regular season games will now be considered official after the 70th minute. Teams are allowed a fourth substitution in extra time for the USL Playoffs. Teams will submit a 23-player squad at least 48 hours before kickoff. A team's 18-player gameday roster may now contain a maximum of five players signed to USL Academy contracts.

Teams

Team Location Stadium Capacity Head coach MLS affiliate/ownership First Match's Goalkeeper Atlanta United 2 Lawrenceville, Georgia/Kennesaw, Georgia Coolray Field/Fifth Third Bank Stadium Scott Donnelly Atlanta United FC Alec Kann Bethlehem Steel FC Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Goodman Stadium Brendan Burke Philadelphia Union John McCarthy Charleston Battery Charleston, South Carolina MUSC Health Stadium Michael Anhaeuser Odisnel Cooper Charlotte Independence Matthews, North Carolina Sportsplex at Matthews Mike Jeffries Colorado Rapids Andrew Dykstra Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Colorado Springs, Colorado Switchbacks Training Stadium Steve Trittschuh Steward Ceus FC Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Nippert Stadium Alan Koch Evan Newton Fresno FC Fresno, California Chukchansi Park Adam Smith Vancouver Whitecaps FC Kyle Reynish Indy Eleven Indianapolis, Indiana Lucas Oil Stadium Martin Rennie Owain Fôn Williams LA Galaxy II Carson, California StubHub Center Track & Field Facility Mike Muñoz LA Galaxy Justin Vom Steeg Las Vegas Lights FC Las Vegas, Nevada Cashman Field Isidro Sánchez Ricardo Ferriño Louisville City FC Louisville, Kentucky Louisville Slugger Field John Hackworth Greg Ranjitsingh Nashville SC Nashville, Tennessee First Tennessee Park/Nissan Stadium Gary Smith Matt Pickens New York Red Bulls II Montclair, New Jersey/Harrison, New Jersey MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field/Red Bull Arena John Wolyniec New York Red Bulls Evan Louro North Carolina FC Cary, North Carolina Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park Colin Clarke Alexander Tambakis OKC Energy FC Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Taft Stadium Steve Cooke FC Dallas Matt Van Oekel Orange County SC Irvine, California Championship Soccer Stadium Braeden Cloutier Los Angeles FC Andre Rawls Ottawa Fury FC Ottawa, Ontario TD Place Stadium Nikola Popovic Montreal Impact Callum Irving Penn FC Harrisburg, Pennsylvania FNB Field Raoul Voss Romuald Peiser Phoenix Rising FC Scottsdale, Arizona Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex Rick Schantz (interim) Carl Woszczynski Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Highmark Stadium Bob Lilley Daniel Lynd Portland Timbers 2 Portland, Oregon Providence Park/Merlo Field Cameron Knowles Portland Timbers Alex Mangels Real Monarchs Herriman, Utah/Sandy, Utah Zions Bank Stadium/Rio Tinto Stadium Jámison Olave (interim) Real Salt Lake Alex Horwath Reno 1868 FC Reno, Nevada Greater Nevada Field Ian Russell San Jose Earthquakes JT Marcinkowski Richmond Kickers Richmond, Virginia City Stadium David Bulow D.C. United Travis Worra Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Edinburg, Texas H-E-B Park Gerson Echeverry Houston Dynamo Nico Corti Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento, California Papa Murphy's Park Simon Elliott Josh Cohen Saint Louis FC Fenton, Missouri Toyota Stadium Anthony Pulis Minnesota United FC Jake Fenlason San Antonio FC San Antonio, Texas Toyota Field Darren Powell New York City FC Diego Restrepo Seattle Sounders FC 2 Tacoma, Washington Cheney Stadium John Hutchinson Seattle Sounders FC Calle Brown Swope Park Rangers Kansas City, Kansas/Overland Park, Kansas Children's Mercy Park/Shawnee Mission District Stadium Paulo Nagamura Sporting Kansas City Adrian Zendejas Tampa Bay Rowdies St. Petersburg, Florida Al Lang Stadium Neill Collins Cody Mizell Toronto FC II Toronto, Ontario Lamport Stadium Michael Rabasca Toronto FC Angelo Cavalluzzo Tulsa Roughnecks FC Tulsa, Oklahoma ONEOK Field Michael Nsien (interim) Chicago Fire Fabian Cerda

Other venues Four Toronto FC II home games were played at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester, New York. Nashville's March 24 game against Pittsburgh, and the July 7 game against FC Cincinnati, were played at Nissan Stadium. Toronto's May 9 game against Penn FC was moved to Monarch Park Stadium due to BMO Field needing time to recover due to a busy early schedule. The conclusion of a suspended game from June 16 between Atlanta United 2 and Ottawa was played August 7 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Competition format The season began on March 16 and ends on October 14. The top eight finishers in each conference qualify for the playoffs.

Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyIncoming managerDate of appointmentRio Grande Valley FC Toros Junior Gonzalez ResignedNovember 8, 2017 Gerson EcheverryDecember 6, 2017Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Dave Brandt IneligibleNovember 14, 2017 Bob LilleyNovember 14, 2017 Oklahoma City Energy FC Jimmy Nielsen ResignedNovember 16, 2017 Steve CookeDecember 19, 2017 Swope Park Rangers Nikola Popovic Mutual separationNovember 17, 2017 Paulo NagamuraNovember 30, 2017 Saint Louis FC Preki Mutual separationNovember 20, 2017 Anthony PulisNovember 21, 2017 Orange County SC Logan Pause Mutual separationNovember 27, 2017 Braeden CloutierDecember 14, 2017 Ottawa Fury FC Julian de Guzman InterimDecember 12, 2017 Nikola PopovicDecember 12, 2017 Portland Timbers 2 Andrew Gregor Moved to assistant coachJanuary 8, 2018 Cameron KnowlesJanuary 8, 2018 Toronto FC II Jason Bent PromotionJanuary 26, 2018 Laurent GuyotJanuary 26, 2018Seattle Sounders FC 2 Ezra Hendrickson ResignedJanuary 30, 2018 John HutchinsonJanuary 30, 2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies Stuart Campbell ResignedMay 17, 2018 Neill CollinsMay 18, 2018Toronto FC II Laurent GuyotMutual separationJune 1, 2018 Michael RabascaJune 4, 2018Phoenix Rising FC Patrice CarteronLeft to manage Al Ahly SCJune 12, 2018 Rick Schantz (Interim)June 12, 2018Tulsa Roughnecks FC David VaudreuilFiredJune 25, 2018 Michael Nsien (Interim)June 25, 2018Richmond Kickers Leigh CowlishawResignedJune 26, 2018 David BulowJune 27, 2018Louisville City FC James O'ConnorLeft to manage Orlando City SCJune 30, 2018 Player Coaches ‡July 1, 2018Louisville City FC Player Coaches ‡Return to player dutiesAugust 2, 2018 John HackworthAugust 2, 2018Real Monarchs Mark BriggsResignedAugust 24, 2018 Jámison Olave (Interim)August 24, 2018 ‡ Luke Spencer, Paolo DelPiccolo, & George Davis IV appointed joint interim head coaches.

League table Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Results table