Days before their playoff appearance in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the USL announced that North Carolina FC will not field a USL Championship team in 2026. The USL also announced North Carolina FC’s hopes of returning at the first-division level in 2028.
The club’s decision is major news, and it says plenty about the paradox at the heart of the USL’s ambitions.
Now in their 19th season of operation, North Carolina FC was founded as the “Carolina Railhawks” but rebranded after local businessman Steven Malik acquired the club in 2015. Malik would purchase the rights to an NWSL franchise – the North Carolina Courage – in 2017, and he took his men’s side to the USL the year after. After a stint in third-tier USL League One, NCFC returned to the second division ahead of the 2024 campaign.
While North Carolina succeeded on the pitch that year, rumors began to spread about the future of the team. Malik publicly sought additional investment to keep up in the NWSL; a $100 million arrangement to sell the Courage fell through at the eleventh hour. The explosive growth of women’s soccer made the Courage his top priority after the sale collapsed, creating the possibility that NCFC might end up on the chopping block.
Now, that worst-case scenario has become a reality, and the ramifications are far-reaching. The club won’t play in 2026 and doesn’t appear interested in playing again before the USL’s proposed Division One men’s league launches. 12 players on the North Carolina roster had publicly announced options to return for 2026. Coach John Bradford had been with the organization in some capacity since 2006. All of their futures in professional soccer are up in the air, and a community of devoted staff and supporters has been blindsided.
