After an offseason full of turmoil, the NASL is ready to focus on the on-field action that will take place during the 2017 season. The league announced the format for the new campaign on Friday, with the season kicking off on March 25.
Both the Spring and Fall seasons will consists of 16 matches for each of the eight NASL sides, with eight of them at home and eight on the road. The winners from the Spring and Fall seasons will host a semifinal game in The Championship, which is the name for the four-team postseason NASL tournament.
The first round of the postseason will be played on Nov. 4, and the league final will be held on Nov. 11. The rest of the schedule is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
“Over the years, our intense split-season competition has produced the drama and excitement that fans crave,” NASL interim commissioner Rishi Sehgal said. “The 2017 season will be no different, and we can’t wait to watch our clubs battle each other week in and week out.”
FC Edmonton, Indy Eleven, Jacksonville Armada, Miami FC, New York Cosmos, North Carolina FC, Puerto Rico FC and the San Francisco Deltas are the eight teams participating in the NASL in 2017.