LouCity's 2026 Schedule to Feature Home Games on Thunder, Fourth of July
USL Louisville City FC

LouCity's 2026 Schedule to Feature Home Games on Thunder, Fourth of July

Published on December 16, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC will play home games on Thunder Over Louisville and Independence Day in 2026 as part of its newly unveiled United Soccer League schedule.

The USL released the full 2026 slate Tuesday, including a 30-game USL Championship regular season campaign that kicks off Friday, March 6, at Lexington SC (the game had been previously announced for Saturday, March 7). The league also revealed LouCity's four-game Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage slate.

Fans can visit LouCity.com/tickets to view packages, including season ticket memberships starting at just $15 per game and a flexible Holiday Pack that features a team-branded stocking. Call (502) LOU-CITY during regular business hours to speak to a representative.

The 2026 season marks the first in which LouCity has hosted a game coinciding with the Kentucky Derby Festival's signature event, Thunder Over Louisville. New USL Championship opponent Sporting Club Jacksonville visits on Saturday, April 18.

LouCity will then welcome Hartford Athletic on Independence Day: Saturday, July 4. LouCity hasn't hosted a game on the Fourth of July since 2016, the club's second season.

In addition to the Saturday, March 14, home opener against Miami FC, other highlights at Lynn Family Stadium include:

Saturday, April 4: a visit from the Charleston Battery, which has finished second to LouCity in both of the last two seasons.

Saturday, May 30: The rival Tampa Bay Rowdies return to Louisville.

Saturday, June 13: Brooklyn FC, one of two new USL Championship clubs for 2026, makes its first visit to Lynn Family Stadium.

Saturday, July 11: LouCity hosts in-state rival Lexington SC in the USL Cup. Last season, LouCity swept Lexington in the inaugural Commonwealth Cup, presented by Republic Bank, rivalry series.

This season will mark the second time LouCity has taken part in the USL Cup, an in-season tournament pitting teams from the second-division USL Championship and third-division USL League One. The tournament features a four-game group stage followed by a knockout round.

The USL included LouCity in Group Four along with Fort Wayne FC, Forward Madison FC and Union Omaha of USL League One, as well as Detroit City FC, Indy Eleven and Lexington SC of the USL Championship.

In terms of the regular season, the top eight teams from each conference will once again qualify for the USL Championship Playoffs, which kick off the weekend of October 31. The USL Championship Final will take place the weekend of November 20-November 22.

LouCity will also contend in 2026 for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, learning its first round opponent in January, and could potentially add home games as part of U.S. Soccer's annual knockout tournament.

Game times, broadcast details, theme nights and a promotional schedule will be released later. Visit LouCity.com/schedule for updated details and to sync games to your digital calendar.

LouCity will return most of its roster from a 2025 campaign that saw the club lift a second-consecutive Players' Shield title, awarded the USL Championship regular season champion. The boys in purple lost just once in the regular campaign, racking up 73 points in the standings at a league-record 2.43 point-per-game clip.

2026 Louisville City FC Schedule

* Prinx Tires USL Cup

# U.S. Open Cup

Friday, March 6: at Lexington SC

Saturday, March 14: vs. Miami FC

Tuesday, March 17 - Thursday, March 19: U.S. Open Cup First Round#

Saturday, March 21: vs. Rhode Island FC

Saturday, March 28: at Brooklyn FC

Tuesday, March 31 - Wednesday, April 1: U.S. Open Cup Second Round#

Saturday, April 4: vs. Charleston Battery

Friday, April 10: at Loudoun United FC

Tuesday, April 14: - Wednesday, April 15: U.S. Open Cup Round of 32#

Saturday, April 18: vs. Sporting Club Jacksonville

Saturday, April 25: vs. Fort Wayne FC*

Tuesday, April 28 - Wednesday, April 29: U.S. Open Cup Round of 16#

Saturday, May 2: at Detroit City FC

Saturday, May 9: vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Sunday, May 17: at Union Omaha*

Tuesday, May 19 - Wednesday, May 20: U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal#

Saturday, May 23: at Miami FC

Saturday, May 30: vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Wednesday, June 3: at Birmingham Legion FC

Wednesday, June 10: at Phoenix Rising FC

Saturday, June 13: vs. Brooklyn FC

Saturday, June 20: at Detroit City FC*

Saturday, July 4: vs. Hartford Athletic

Saturday, July 11: vs. Lexington SC*

Saturday, July 18: at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Wednesday, July 29: vs. Birmingham Legion FC

Saturday, August 1: at Tampa Bay Rowdies

Saturday, August 8: vs. San Antonio FC

Wednesday, August 12: Prinx Tires USL Cup Quarterfinals*

Saturday, August 15: at Orange County SC

Saturday, August 22: at Indy Eleven

Saturday, August 29: vs. Detroit City FC

Saturday, September 5: at Rhode Island FC

Wednesday, September 9: Prinx Tires USL Cup Semifinals*

Saturday, September 12: vs. El Paso Locomotive FC

Tuesday, September 15 - Wednesday, September 16: U.S. Open Cup Semifinal#

Saturday, September 19: vs. Loudoun United FC

Friday, September 25: at Hartford Athletic

Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4: Prinx Tires USL Cup Final*

Saturday, October 3: at Sporting Club Jacksonville

Saturday, October 10: at Charleston Battery

Saturday, October 17: vs. Indy Eleven

Wednesday, October 21: U.S. Open Cup Final#

Saturday, October 24: vs. Detroit City FC

October 31 - November 22: USL Championship Playoffs

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from December 16, 2025


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