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USL League One 2020 launch officially set for July 18

USL League One

It’s now official: the USL League One 2020 launch is set for July 18 after the league and the USL Players Association formally reached an agreement on a return to play. UPDATE: Complications abound….

We expect more news about the specifics of the USL League One 2020 launch: the length of the season (USL Championship is playing an abbreviated schedule), travel arrangements (USL Championship is organized on regional play in several divisions) and playoffs. It’s also expected that each team will have different approaches to crowds and social distancing: Forward Madison, for instance, will need to conform to Dane County guidelines for gatherings, and those guidelines are stricter than found in most Wisconsin counties. So while we have a season-launch date, we’ll be waiting on the specifics.

UPDATE: This could end up being more of a mess than anticipated, as local restrictions may force several teams to make alternative arrangements. The current Dane County guidelines for gatherings, which show absolutely no sign of changing any time soon, restricts attendance at a mass gathering to 250 people–which doesn’t make Forward Madison games plausible any time soon. Similar restrictions are in place is Massachusetts, which could impact or shut down New England Revolution II. A 14-day quarantine required for people entering Canada from abroad could impact the Toronto FC II schedule. And while there are more liberal limits on capacities in Florida and Texas, coronavirus outbreaks may force shutdowns of mass gatherings in coming weeks; today, for example, Florida ordered all bars shut down immediately, while in Texas mass gatherings are now limited to 100 people unless there is approval from local officials. This impacts six of USL League One’s 12 teams.

RELATED STORIES: USL Championship unbalanced schedule announced; 2020 USL Championship season set for tentative July 11 launch; 2020 USL Championship season to resume season July 11NWSL, USL opens training fields for individuals, small groupsUSL Championship, League One seasons suspended; League Two season canceled

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