The 2020 USL Championship season was the tenth season of the USL Championship and fourth under Division II sanctioning. This was the second season under the name "USL Championship", having used the name "United Soccer League" through 2018. Real Monarchs were the defending USL Cup champions. The 2020 season saw 35 teams participate in two conferences during the regular season.

On November 8, 2019, Ottawa Fury FC announced that it had suspended operations. The team had received sanctioning from its nation's governing body, Canada Soccer, but was denied by U.S. Soccer and the continental governing body of CONCACAF. Additionally, the 2020 season was the first season without Nashville SC. The club's identity transferred to a Major League Soccer team that started play in 2020.

The season was suspended on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America. On June 4, the league announced a return to play on July 11, 2020.

The playoffs began on October 10, and originally scheduled to conclude with the USL Championship Final on November 1. The Final was then cancelled the day before because several Tampa Bay Rowdies players and staff tested positive for COVID-19. The championship would not be awarded.

Real Monarchs were the defending USL Championship champions, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Changes from 2019 Expansion clubs San Diego Loyal SC

Rebranded clubs Bethlehem Steel FC rebranded as Philadelphia Union II Swope Park Rangers rebranded as Sporting Kansas City II Tulsa Roughnecks FC rebranded as FC Tulsa

Moves Ottawa Fury FC franchise rights sold to Miami FC

Departing clubs Fresno FC (ceased operations) Nashville SC (moved to MLS)

Teams

The following teams are playing in the 2020 USL Championship season:

Team Location Stadium Capacity Head coach MLS affiliate / ownership Atlanta United 2 Kennesaw, Georgia Fifth Third Bank Stadium 8,318 Tony Annan (interim)Atlanta United FC Austin Bold FC Austin, Texas Bold Stadium 5,000 Marcelo Serrano Birmingham Legion FC Birmingham, Alabama BBVA Field 5,000 Tom Soehn Charleston Battery Charleston, South Carolina Patriots Point Soccer Complex 5,000 Mike Anhaeuser Charlotte Independence Matthews, North Carolina Sportsplex at Matthews 5,000 Mike Jeffries Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Colorado Springs, Colorado Weidner Field 5,000 Alan KochColorado Rapids El Paso Locomotive FC El Paso, Texas Southwest University Park 9,500 Mark Lowry Hartford Athletic Hartford, Connecticut Dillon Stadium 5,500 Radhi Jaïdi Indy Eleven Indianapolis, Indiana Lucas Oil Stadium 62,421 Martin Rennie LA Galaxy II Carson, California Dignity Health Track Stadium 5,000 Junior GonzalezLA Galaxy Las Vegas Lights FC Las Vegas, Nevada Cashman Field 9,334 Frank YallopLoudoun United FC Leesburg, Virginia Segra Field 5,000 Ryan MartinD.C. United Louisville City FC Louisville, Kentucky Lynn Family Stadium 11,700 John Hackworth Memphis 901 FC Memphis, Tennessee AutoZone Park 10,000 Ben Pirmann (interim) Miami FC Miami, Florida Riccardo Silva Stadium 20,000 Paul Dalglish New Mexico United Albuquerque, New Mexico Isotopes Park 13,500 Troy Lesesne New York Red Bulls II Montclair, New Jersey MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field 5,000 John WolyniecNew York Red Bulls North Carolina FC Cary, North Carolina WakeMed Soccer Park 10,000 Dave Sarachan OKC Energy FC Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Taft Stadium 7,500 John Pascarella Orange County SC Irvine, California Champion Stadium 5,000 Braeden Cloutier Philadelphia Union II Chester, Pennsylvania Subaru Park 18,500 Marlon LeBlanc (interim)Philadelphia Union Phoenix Rising FC Tempe, Arizona Casino Arizona Field 6,200 Rick Schantz Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Highmark Stadium 5,000 Bob Lilley Portland Timbers 2 Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro Stadium 7,600 Cameron KnowlesPortland TimbersReal Monarchs Herriman, Utah Zions Bank Stadium 5,000 Jámison OlaveReal Salt Lake Reno 1868 FC Reno, Nevada Greater Nevada Field 9,013 Ian RussellSan Jose Earthquakes Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Edinburg, Texas H-E-B Park 9,400 Gerson EcheverryHouston Dynamo Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento, California Papa Murphy's Park 11,569 Mark Briggs Saint Louis FCFenton, Missouri 5,500 Steve Trittschuh San Antonio FC San Antonio, Texas Toyota Field 8,296 Alen MarcinaNew York City FCSan Diego Loyal SC San Diego, California Torero Stadium 6,000 Landon Donovan Sporting Kansas City II Kansas City, Kansas Children's Mercy Park 18,467 Paulo NagamuraSporting Kansas City Tacoma Defiance Tacoma, Washington Cheney Stadium 6,500 Chris LittleSeattle Sounders FC Tampa Bay Rowdies St. Petersburg, Florida Al Lang Stadium 7,227 Neill Collins FC Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma ONEOK Field 7,833 Michael Nsien

Competition format

The original divisional alignment was announced on December 19, 2019. The regular season and playoff format was announced on January 9, 2020. The season began on March 6 and was scheduled to conclude on October 17. The 2020 USL Cup Playoffs were expected to begin October 21, and conclude with the final match between November 12–16. The top 10 teams were to make the playoffs in each conference with the same format as in 2019.

Group alignment for resumption of play

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a radical remaking of the competition for 2020. When the season resumed on July 11, the teams were competing in small groups of four or five teams with a geographic component, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the postseason. Group Teams A Portland Timbers 2, Reno 1868 FC, Sacramento Republic FC, Tacoma Defiance B LA Galaxy II, Las Vegas Lights FC, Orange County SC, Phoenix Rising FC, San Diego Loyal SC C Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, New Mexico United, Real Monarchs SLC D Austin Bold FC, OKC Energy FC, Rio Grande Valley FC, San Antonio FC, FC Tulsa E Indy Eleven, Louisville City FC, Sporting Kansas City II, Saint Louis FC F Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, New York Red Bulls II, Philadelphia Union II, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC G Birmingham Legion FC, Charlotte Independence, Memphis 901 FC, North Carolina FC H Atlanta United 2, Charleston Battery, Miami FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies

Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyIncoming managerDate of appointmentOKC Energy FC Steve CookeContract not renewedOctober 22, 2019 John PascarellaNovember 22, 2019Hartford Athletic Jimmy NielsenMutual separationOctober 27, 2019 Radhi JaïdiNovember 8, 2019San Antonio FC Darren PowellMutual separationOctober 30, 2019 Alen MarcinaDecember 9, 2019Sacramento Republic FC Simon ElliottContract not renewedNovember 5, 2019 Mark BriggsDecember 16, 2019Real Monarchs SLC Jamison Olave (interim)End of interim periodNovember 20, 2019 Jamison OlaveNovember 20, 2019Saint Louis FC Anthony PulisMutual separationJanuary 4, 2020 Steve TrittschuhJanuary 4, 2020LA Galaxy II Junior Gonzalez (interim)End of interim periodJanuary 8, 2020 Junior GonzalezJanuary 8, 2020Philadelphia Union II Brendan BurkeJoined Front OfficeFebruary 12, 2020 Sven GartungFebruary 12, 2020Las Vegas Lights FC Eric WynaldaMutual separationJune 17, 2020 Frank YallopJune 29, 2020Atlanta United 2 Stephen GlassPromoted to Parent ClubJuly 27, 2020 Tony Annan (interim)July 27, 2020Philadelphia Union II Sven GartungMutual separationAugust 5, 2020 Marlon LeBlanc (interim)August 5, 2020Miami FC Nelson VargasMutual separationAugust 10, 2020 Paul DalglishAugust 10, 2020Memphis 901 FC Tim MulqueenFiredSeptember 15, 2020 Ben Pirmann (interim)September 15, 2020Phoenix Rising FC Rick SchantzPlaced on administrative leaveOctober 3, 2020 Blair Gavin (interim)October 3, 2020Phoenix Rising FC Blair Gavin (interim)End of interim periodOctober 21, 2020 Rick SchantzOctober 21, 2020

Group tables

Group A Group A covers Northwestern states including Northern California.

Group B Group B covers Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Group C Group C includes the Rocky Mountain states, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

Group D Group D represents Texas (except El Paso) and Oklahoma.

Group E Group E covers the Midwestern states.

Group F Group F includes the Northeastern states.

Group G Group G includes the northern part of the Southern United States.

Group H Group H includes the southern and southeasternmost states.

Conference tables

Western Conference

Eastern Conference

Results table