MLS NEXT Pro today announced Sporting Kansas City II’s 2024 regular season schedule which kicks off Sunday, March 17 at Houston Dynamo 2, before the team’s home opener against LA Galaxy II on Sunday, March 24 at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, KS. Tickets for all Sporting KC II matches are on sale now at SeatGeek.com and are complimentary for all Season Ticket Members upon request from your representative.
Around half of SKC II's matches will be available to stream with an MLS Season Pass subscription on the Apple TV App with the remaining matches being shown on MLSNEXTPro.com. Available in more than 100 countries and regions, MLS Season Pass can be viewed on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, game consoles, and online at tv.apple.com. The remainder of regular season matches will stream live on mlsnextpro.com.
Date | Opponent | Time (CT) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, March 17 | @Houston Dynamo 2 | 5pm | SaberCats Stadium |
SUNDAY, MARCH 24 | LA GALAXY II | 4pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
SUNDAY, MARCH 31 | ST. LOUIS CITY2 | 4pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Sunday, April 7 | @Colorado Rapids 2 | 8:30pm | University of Denver |
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 | HOUSTON DYNAMO 2 | 5pm | SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE |
Saturday, April 20 | @LA Galaxy II | 9pm | California Lutheran University |
SUNDAY, APRIL 28 | MNUFC2 | 4pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
SUNDAY, MAY 5 | NORTH TEXAS SC | 6pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
SUNDAY, May 12 | COLORADO RAPIDS 2 | 2pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Friday, May 17 | @Austin FC II | 8pm | Parmer Field |
Sunday, June 2 | @MNUFC2 | 6pm | National Sports Center |
FRIDAY, JUNE 7 | HOUSTON DYNAMO 2 | 6pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Wednesday, June 12 | @Real Monarchs | 6pm | Zions Bank Stadium |
Sunday, June 23 | @St. Louis CITY2 | 6pm | CITYPARK |
SUNDAY, JUNE 30 | AUSTIN FC II | 6pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Sunday, July 7 | @Tacoma Defiance | 9pm | Starfire Stadium |
Sunday, July 14 | @Earthquakes II | 7pm | TBA |
SUNDAY, JULY 21 | ST. LOUIS CITY2 | 6pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Friday, July 26 | @Timbers2 | 10pm | Providence Park |
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 | WHITECAPS FC 2 | 7pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Saturday, August 10 | @North Texas SC | 7:15pm | Choctaw Stadium |
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 | AUSTIN FC II | 6pm | ROCK CHALK PARK |
Saturday, August 31 | @Whitecaps FC 2 | 6pm | Swanguard Stadium |
Sunday, September 8 | @LAFC 2 | 3pm | Cal State Fullerton |
Sunday, September 15 | @Colorado Rapids 2 | 7pm | DICK's Sporting Goods Park |
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 | MNUFC2 | 5pm | SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE |
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 | NORTH TEXAS SC | 3pm | SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE |
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 | LAFC 2 | 3pm | SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE |
Conference and Divisional Alignment
With the addition of two new clubs to the League, Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC, the Eastern Conference will feature updated divisions in 2024. The former Central Division is now the Southeast Division, with the following changes that can also be seen in the chart below:
- Crown Legacy FC moves from the Northeast Division to the Southeast Division
- Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC join the Southeast Division
- FC Cincinnati 2, Columbus Crew 2 and Chicago Fire II move from the Central Division (now Southeast Division) to the Northeast Division
WESTERN CONFERENCE | EASTERN CONFERENCE |
|---|---|
FRONTIER DIVISION | SOUTHEAST DIVISION |
Austin FC II | Atlanta United 2 |
Colorado Rapids 2 | Carolina Core FC |
Houston Dynamo 2 | Chattanooga FC |
MNUFC2 | Crown Legacy FC |
North Texas SC | Huntsville City FC |
Sporting KC II | Inter Miami II |
St. Louis CITY2 | Orlando City B |
PACIFIC DIVISION | NORTHEAST DIVISION |
Earthquakes II | Chicago Fire II |
LA Galaxy II | Columbus Crew 2 |
Los Angeles Football Club 2 | FC Cincinnati 2 |
Real Monarchs | New England Revolution II |
Tacoma Defiance | New York Red Bulls II |
Timbers2 | NYCFC II |
Whitecaps FC 2 | Philadelphia Union II |
Shootouts Return in 2024
There will once again be no ties in MLS NEXT Pro in 2024. A unique and exciting element in matches since the League’s inception in 2022, shootouts featuring kicks from the penalty mark will once again decide matches that are tied after regulation this season. Each team receives one point for the draw in regulation, with the winner of the shootout receiving one additional point (two points total). The past two seasons, approximately 20+ percent of all regular season matches in MLS NEXT Pro resulted in a shootout.
Decision Day 2024
Twenty-eight of the 29 clubs in the League will compete on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, October 6. Fourteen matches will take place to determine final playoff positioning, with eight teams in each conference qualifying for the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. Eastern Conference matches will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Western Conference at 4:00 p.m. ET. All Decision Day matches will air live on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
Enhanced Pick-your-opponent Format
The 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs will feature the return of the “pick-your-opponent” format that debuted during the 2023 postseason and quickly garnered widespread attention. Last season, Sporting KC II earned the right to pick their opponent, hosting Austin FC II in the Western Conference Quarterfinals at Rock Chalk Park in front of a raucous crowd. This year will feature more teams qualifying for the playoffs, more teams making selections and more knockout matches being played.
Eight teams will qualify for the playoffs from each conference (16 total), with Seeds No. 1-4 in each conference hosting and selecting their opponents in the first round. In the second round, the highest remaining seed in each conference will select an opponent from any of the remaining three teams. This year’s postseason will see 15 total matches, including MLS NEXT Pro Cup.
Head coach Benny Feilhaber and assistant coach Ike Opara, now in year three at the helm, look to get Sporting KC II back into the playoffs after securing a top-three finish in the Western Conference a year ago. Leading talented SKC Acadmey players in the pro player pathway, first-team loanees and a group of MLS NEXT Pro professional players, the two Sporting KC club legends will navigate another exciting season of MLS NEXT Pro action.
About MLS NEXT Pro
Launched in 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT to MLS first teams. MLS NEXT Pro continues to grow the game through innovation and diversity, bringing professional soccer to new communities and creating opportunities both on and off the field. MLS NEXT Pro will celebrate its third season in 2024 with 29 teams, 27 MLS-affiliated and two independent, Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC. Additional MLS-affiliated and independent clubs will join in the years ahead, including Cleveland, Jacksonville Armada FC and Connecticut United FC. The majority of MLS NEXT Pro’s matches are broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV as part of the groundbreaking partnership between Apple and MLS. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
