Detroit City FC releases 2024 schedule

There’s still an entire winter standing between Detroit City FC and its next match, but we now know where that next match — and every other 2024 USL Championship contest — will be. 

DCFC on Monday released its schedule for the 2024 season, and before we pick off a couple of notes and oddities, let’s explore how the league has changed since Phoenix Rising closed the season as champions. 

Two teams have departed the league, both from the Western Conference, San Diego Loyal SC folded and Rio Grande Valley Toros FC. In their place, the league welcomed in a brand-new club, Rhode Island FC, and the reigning USL League One champions, North Carolina FC.

To accommodate the geographical implications of replacing two west-coast teams with two east-coast teams, the league has moved Memphis 901 FC and FC Tulsa to the Western Conference.

The schedule was configured similarly to last season. DCFC will play a home-and-home with all 11 other teams in the Eastern Conference and play each team in the Western Conference once, half home and half away, for a total of 34 games.

DCFC played its season opener last season on March 11. The 2024 season opens on March 16 for DCFC, away at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. DCFC closes the season at San Antonio FC on Oct. 26, which is 12 days later than last season’s finale (Oct. 14).

DCFC has two bye weeks on the schedule, but the club can’t be too happy with the positioning. They’ll get a week off after the fourth game of the season, in mid-April, and another in mid-May. From then on, DCFC does not get a break in the action.

Make sure your holiday wish list includes some gear for the elements. DCFC will play three of its first five matches next season at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, including an early look at the league’s newest competition. Le Rouge welcomes North Carolina into Keyworth on April 6. Rhode Island FC plays in Detroit on Aug. 3. 

DCFC will play three-game road swings on two occasions, including May 29-June 8 (including a date with Louisville City FC), and from August 10-24 (which includes games at Birmingham Legion and Tampa Bay Rowdies). The month of August presents the biggest challenge, as DCFC will play a total of eight games from July 31-Aug. 31.

Though they don’t have any three-game home stands, DCFC will play back-to-back home games on seven occasions.

After reaching the postseason in its first two USL Championship seasons, DCFC is looking to take a step forward after the hiring of new head coach Danny Dichio. DCFC was 11W-8D-15L in 2023 and qualified for playoffs on the final day of the season before pulling off one of the biggest playoff upsets in league history, 1-0, at Pittsburgh, in the opening round. DCFC’s run came to an end in a 4-0 defeat at Louisville City.

Detroit City FC 2024 schedule

(Home matches in bold.)

▶ 3/16 — (at) Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

▶ 3/23 — Loudoun United FC

▶ 3/30 — (at) Indy Eleven

▶ 4/6 — North Carolina FC

▶ 4/20 — Oakland Roots SC

▶ 4/27 — (at) Pittsburgh Riverhounds

▶ 5/4 — (at) Loudoun United FC

▶ 5/11 — Phoenix Rising FC

▶ 5/29 — (at) Louisville City FC

▶ 6/1 — (at) Orange County SC

▶ 6/8 — (at) Rhode Island FC

▶ 6/15 — Charleston Battery

▶ 6/25 — Birmingham Legion FC 

▶ 6/29 — (at) Miami FC

▶ 7/6 — Tampa Bay Rowdies

▶ 7/13 — Memphis 901 FC

▶ 7/19 — (at) North Carolina FC

▶ 7/27 — Sacramento Republic FC

▶ 7/31 — (at) Hartford Athletic

▶ 8/3 — Rhode Island FC

▶ 8/7 — Pittsburgh Riverhounds

▶ 8/10 — (at) Las Vegas Lights FC

▶ 8/16 — (at) Birmingham Legion FC

▶ 8/21 — (at) Tampa Bay Rowdies

▶ 8/24 — FC Tulsa

▶ 8/31 — Hartford Athletic

▶ 9/7 — (at) El Paso Locomotive FC

▶ 9/14 — New Mexico United

▶ 9/21 — Louisville City FC

▶ 9/28 — (at) Monterey Bay FC 

▶ 10/5 — (at) Charleston Battery

▶ 10/12 — Indy Eleven

▶ 10/19 — Miami FC

▶ 10/26 — (at) San Antonio FC

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi