2025 USL Championship playoffs
Football tournament season
2025 USL Championship playoffs
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
DatesNovember 1 – November 22
Teams16
Defending championsColorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Final positions
ChampionsPittsburgh Riverhounds SC (1st title)
Runners-upFC Tulsa
Tournament statistics
Matches played13
Goals scored14 (1.08 per match)
Attendance100,391 (7,722 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Albert Dikwa Rhode Island FC
Stefan Lukic FC Tulsa
(2 goals each)

The 2025 USL Championship playoffs was the post-season championship of the 2025 USL Championship season. It was the fifteenth edition of the USL Championship playoffs. The playoffs began on the first weekend of November, and concluded with the final in late November.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, the 2024 Western Conference champions, were the defending title holders, winning against the Eastern Conference champion Rhode Island FC.[1]

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC defeated FC Tulsa in the final 5–3 on penalties to win their first title.

Format

The top eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs which was in a single-elimination, fixed bracket format. All playoff matches are streamed live on ESPN+ except the Championship final on CBS.[2] The playoffs are scheduled to begin on the first weekend of November, with the final taking place between the 21st and 23rd.[3]

Conference standings

Bracket

Conference Quarterfinals
November 1–2 		Conference Semifinals
November 8 		Conference Finals
November 14–16 		USL Championship Final
November 22
            
E1 Louisville City FC 0
E8 Detroit City FC 1
E8 Detroit City FC 0 (3)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0 (4)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (p) 0 (4)
E5 Hartford Athletic 0 (2)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1
Eastern Conference
E7 Rhode Island FC 0
E3 North Carolina FC 1
E6 Loudoun United FC 0
E3 North Carolina FC 0
E7 Rhode Island FC 2
E2 Charleston Battery 0 (3)
E7 Rhode Island FC (p) 0 (5)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (p) 0 (5)
W1 FC Tulsa 0 (3)
W1 FC Tulsa (a.e.t.) 1
W8 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 0
W1 FC Tulsa (a.e.t.) 1
W5 Phoenix Rising FC 0
W4 El Paso Locomotive FC 0
W5 Phoenix Rising FC 1
W1 FC Tulsa 3
Western Conference
W3 New Mexico United 0
W3 New Mexico United 2
W6 San Antonio FC 0
W3 New Mexico United 2
W7 Orange County SC 1
W2 Sacramento Republic FC 0 (4)
W7 Orange County SC 0 (5)

Matches

Conference Quarterfinals

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC v Hartford Athletic
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) East Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)		Hartford AthleticPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
6:30 PM ET Report Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 4,932
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
Penalties
Louisville City FC v Detroit City FC
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) EastLouisville City FC0–1 Detroit City FC Louisville, Kentucky
7:00 PM ET Report Amoo-Mensah 34' Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 8,210
Referee: Greg Dopka
North Carolina FC v Loudoun United FC
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) East North Carolina FC 1–0Loudoun United FCCary, North Carolina
7:30 PM ET Anderson 6' Report Stadium: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,005
Referee: Natalie Simon
FC Tulsa v Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) West FC Tulsa 1–0 (a.e.t.)Colorado Springs Switchbacks FCTulsa, Oklahoma
7:00 PM CT Lukic 92' Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 7,583
Referee: Ryan Carrigan
New Mexico United v San Antonio FC
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) West New Mexico United 2–0San Antonio FCAlbuquerque, New Mexico
7:00 PM MT
Report Stadium: Isotopes Park
Attendance: 8,287
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
El Paso Locomotive FC v Phoenix Rising FC
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) WestEl Paso Locomotive FC0–1 Phoenix Rising FC El Paso, Texas
7:30 PM MT Report Dennis 86' (pen.) Stadium: Southwest University Park
Attendance: 3,469
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
Charleston Battery v Rhode Island FC
November 2, 2025 (2025-11-02) EastCharleston Battery0−0 (a.e.t.)
(3−5 p)		 Rhode Island FC Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
2:00 PM ET Report Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex
Attendance: 4,532
Referee: Elton Garcia
Penalties
Sacramento Republic FC v Orange County SC
November 2, 2025 (2025-11-02) WestSacramento Republic FC0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)		 Orange County SC Sacramento, California
6:00 PM PT Report Stadium: Heart Health Park
Attendance: 9,367
Referee: Nabil Bensalah
Penalties

Conference Semifinals

North Carolina FC v Rhode Island FC
November 8, 2025 EastNorth Carolina FC0–2 Rhode Island FC Cary, North Carolina
7:00 PM ET Report Dikwa 81', 90+3' Stadium: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,287
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC v Detroit City FC
November 8, 2025 East Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)		Detroit City FCPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7:30 PM ET Report Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 6,220
Referee: Natalie Simon
Penalties
FC Tulsa v Phoenix Rising FC
November 8, 2025 West FC Tulsa 1–0 (a.e.t.)Phoenix Rising FCTulsa, Oklahoma
8:00 PM ET Lukic 120+2' Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 7,917
Referee: Brandon Stevis
New Mexico United v Orange County SC
November 8, 2025 West New Mexico United 2–1Orange County SCAlbuquerque, New Mexico
9:00 PM ET
Report Pinto 68' Stadium: Isotopes Park
Attendance: 10,150
Referee: Elton García


Conference Finals

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC v Rhode Island FC
November 15 East Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1–0Rhode Island FCPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
6:30 PM Mertz 55' Report Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 6,745
Referee: Nabil Bensalah
FC Tulsa v New Mexico United
November 15 West FC Tulsa 3–0New Mexico UnitedTulsa, Oklahoma
8:30 PM
Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 9,180
Referee: Greg Dopka


USL Championship Final

FC Tulsa v Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
November 22 FinalFC Tulsa0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 p)		 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tulsa, Oklahoma
12:00 PM EST Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 9,507
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
Penalties

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Club Goals[4]
1 United States Devon Amoo-Mensah Detroit City FC 1
Serbia Stefan Lukic FC Tulsa
United States Mukwelle Akale New Mexico United
France Valentin Noël
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Oalex Anderson North Carolina FC
England Charlie Dennis Phoenix Rising FC

References

  1. ^ Johnson, Hugh (2024-11-23). "Colorado Springs Switchbacks rout Rhode Island FC, complete miracle 10th season by winning first-ever title". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  2. ^ "USL Championship Unveils 2024 Regular Season Schedule". USL Championship. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  3. ^ "USL Championship reveals the 2025 season schedule". USL Championship. 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2025-10-20.
  4. ^ "2025 USLC Playoff Stats". USL Championship. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
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