North Carolina FC to Cease Operations Following 2025 Playoff Run

One of the oldest teams in the league is out

Image credit NCFC

EDITOR’S NOTE: this is a breaking story, and we will provide updates as we receive them.

Per numerous sources close to the situation, North Carolina FC informed its players via the USL Player’s Association last night that the club will cease operations of the USL Championship team following the conclusion of the current playoff run.

The Athletic confirmed the story this morning and broke the news. The team is set to host a playoff match on Saturday against Rhode Island FC after finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference and winning in the opening round against Loudoun United.

All players will become free agents when the playoff run is over. Neither the club nor the league has commented on the news.

Founded as the Carolina Railhawks in 2006, the club played in the USL top division from 2007 through 2009 before pursuing a move to the North American Soccer League. They competed in the USSF division two league in 2010 before moving to NASL in 2011, where they remained until 2017. At that time, they re-joined USL’s second division, but self-relegated to USL League One in 2021. They competed in the third division for three seasons, finishing in last place its first two seasons before reversing course and winning the league title in 2023.

NCFC moved back to USL Championship for 2024 and 2025.

The club has been owned by Steve Malik since 2015. Malik’s time as owner and chairman was marked by a rebranding and an MLS bid in 2016, which ultimately fell short.

This leaves the Eastern Conference one short of expected teams, with Brooklyn FC and Sporting Jax set to join in 2026. However, with 13 teams in the east and 12 in the west, there will likely not be a realignment as was expected.

UPDATE 1: Per Tom Bogert at The Athletic, NCFC has applied for membership in USL’s new top flight league, set to start in 2028.

If accepted, it would appear the plan is to go on hiatus for 2026 and 2027. However, there’s no guarantee that USL accepts the application.

UPDATE 2: the team has informed 2026 season ticket holders of the news, and offered to transfer their tickets over to the North Carolina Courage at the same cost.

In addition, the league will be making a statement at 11:00 AM ET.

UPDATE 3: NCFC and the league confirmed the news, with the team confirming that they’ve applied to join the upcoming USL top division, set to begin in 2028. Notably, the statement said that this would be “supported by a long-term stadium plan.”

The move coincides with NCFC’s USL franchise agreement expiring at the end of the 2025 season.

Per the league’s statement, “the USL believes Raleigh has strong potential as a future Division One market if it meets the league’s professional standards, including a minimum 15,000-seat, purpose-built soccer stadium that will serve as an anchor for real estate development.

This story cross-posted from Beyond the 90