Westchester SC, Corpus Christi FC to Exit USL League One
Multiple sources close to the clubs and within the league have confirmed that Westchester SC and Corpus Christi FC will not be part of USL League One in 2027.
The exact reasons for the departures were not confirmed, and the league typically does not share exit reasons.
Westchester joined USL League One ahead of the 2025 season, playing home matches at Memorial Stadium in Mount Vernon, NY. This year, the club averaged 1,780 fans per match, a 1% increase over 2025. The team finished the 2026 season just outside the playoff bubble, an improvement over 2025's last place finish.
Corpus Christi joined USL League One ahead of the 2026 season after competing in USL League Two/PDL since 2018. Originally set to play in a new 5,000 capacity soccer specific stadium, the project was delayed and the team ended up playing at Cabaniss Athletic Complex, a high school facility. After a promising mid-season run, Corpus Christi finished its professional season at 12th in the table. The club averaged 1,364 fans per home match in 2026.
Both clubs saw breakout performances from several players who should be in demand as free agents this off season. Corpus Christi was led by defender Blake Bowen, who tallied eight goals and nine assists, leading his squad in both. Meanwhile Westchester midfielder Conor McGlynn finished second in the Golden Boot race with 16 goals.
We reached out to contacts at both clubs and the league on Friday for a statement, but did not receive a reply.
Westchester SC's supporter group the 914th Infantry shared the news on social media channels following the team's final match at Sarasota, based on information they were given from staff at the club.
However, official announcements are expected now that the regular season has concluded and both teams were eliminated from the playoffs. News of the potential departures was first reported on October 4th by The Exchange FC on social media, followed by a report from US Soccer Directory days later. Several league sources told us off the record that the league informed owners of the news in USL's September board of governor's meeting.
With the departure of Westchester and Corpus Christi, along with Boise moving to USL Championship, USL League One should see 17 or 18 clubs in 2027. Fort Lauderdale United, Port St. Lucie and Sporting Cascades are set to join, and there is strong potential for another team to join from Ventura County, California.
The Ventura County project is from the same operators of Ventura County FC, currently the MLS NextPro reserve team for LA Galaxy. That agreement is apparently ending after this season, with the group pivoting to USL League One. However, with Ventura County FC still competing in MLS NextPro playoffs, we do not expect any announcements until the conclusion of that tournament.
This marks the third year in a row where clubs have exited the league, presumably for financial or operational reasons. 2024 saw the loss of Northern Colorado Hailstorm and Central Valley Fuego, while 2025 saw South Georgia Tormenta and Texoma FC depart. All four clubs still exist in a youth, amateur and/or semi-pro capacity in various leagues.
This is a breaking story. Should more details become available, we'll update.
