You’ve been asking for it. Heck, you’ve been begging for it. Well, USL League One listened and finally revealed the entire 2023 Regular Season. For the second season in a row, Union Omaha will start their season against regional-rival Forward Madison. From a league-wide perspective, this season will consist of 12 clubs competing across 31 weeks of action. After all 192 matches are finished, the league will enter the playoffs using the same format as 2022: top six clubs qualify, top two clubs get a first-round bye, and the highest-ranked club remaining will host the Playoff Championship on either November 4th or 5th. This will be the longest season in USL League One’s five years of existence. Without further ado, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of Union Omaha’s schedule.
Unlike past seasons, where Búhos Nation had to watch upwards of six consecutive weeks of away matches, this year’s schedule doesn’t string together more than two away matches in a row. On the flip side, there is a run of three home matches in Weeks 20 and 21. Speaking of home matches, Union Omaha plays six midweek matches and five of them are at home, the most in club history in both regards. To dive in even deeper, only one of those midweek matches is followed up by the team hitting the road for an away match. While those midweek matches may look inconvenient, they’ll be great opportunities for the team to build momentum and take control of their destiny.
This season will present plenty of challenges to Union Omaha, starting with the major roster signings around the league. Defending-champion Tormenta FC has had their fair share of quality signings in the offseason, not to mention the veterans filling Forward Madison’s locker room. New challenges present themselves in the form of two new clubs in the league, as well: Lexington Sporting Club and One Knox SC. Lexington brings professional soccer to the city for the first time ever and One Knox has been wasting little time in turning heads with their signings. Another new change to the season will come when Union Omaha visits Greenville. Instead of playing at Legacy Early College this season, the Triumph is taking their talents to Furman University’s Paladin Stadium.
Enough about the league. Let’s get back to the Owls.
In terms of traveling, Union Omaha will log over 16,000 miles and that’s simply traveling to the matches. That doesn’t account for return travel at the end of road matches. The month of April alone will see the club travel close to 4,000 miles. With trips to Central Valley, Knoxville, and Charlotte, those miles will add up quickly. For there, the mileage per month will remain rather steady near 2,200 miles. July will also be a busier travel month, amassing close to 3,000 miles. While that sounds like a lot of miles, it pales in comparison to Central Valley Fuego FC and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, who will travel over 29,000 and 21,000 miles, respectively.
One saving grace, at least for the fans, is the fact that the three closest clubs will all be either on the weekend, or a midweek home match. Union Omaha fans have been active on social media and clamoring for more away days. It would be tough for this schedule to be more favorable for road trips. Now it’s time to paint the road with volt, or lightning yellow, or whatever the new shade is called.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t explore how the US Open Cup plays into the schedule, as well. Nothing is set in stone yet, but Union Omaha is very likely to play their first match in the tournament before kicking a ball in league play. If you look at how the Open Cup matches fit into the league schedule, they fit better than your favorite jigsaw puzzle. Take a look below:
*Matches played at Caniglia Field (University of Nebraska – Omaha)
Whereas last season, the league had to scramble to accommodate the midweek Open Cup matches, the space afforded early in the season allows Union Omaha to carry their success with minimal adjustments and schedule upheaval. In fact, the door is open later in the season, as well. Here’s the rest of the regular season, including the remaining Open Cup dates:
There are so many more angles to break down involving the schedule and season (i.e. coach signing, player signings, themed nights, club-sponsored watch party, more kit releases, Open Cup opponents, etc), so stay tuned for more content from Who Gives A Hoot Media. We’re working hard to make sure you’re updated on everything near and dear to your favorite club. Whether it’s the podcast, data deep dives, interviews, editorials, or social media posts, make sure you’re following all of our accounts. Speaking of, here’s the links:
As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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