USL Championship club North Carolina FC has informed players it will not be fielding a team in 2026, sources briefed on the situation tell The Athletic.
North Carolina finished third in the Eastern Conference this season and hosts a playoff game against Rhode Island FC on Saturday. Sources are firmly expecting the club to finish the playoff run.
All players under contract will be released and can sign elsewhere. Any player with a guaranteed contract through next season will now end after 2025 and receive around two months’ salary.
NCFC has been contacted for comment. USL declined to comment when approached.
The club has been owned by Steve Malik, who also owns the NWSL club North Carolina Courage, since 2015.
NCFC was initially formed in 2007 as the Carolina Railhawks. Ahead of the 2017 season, it rebranded to NCFC, hoping in part to become a MLS club.
While the USL is ambitious for the future, with a new first division announced as well as plans to become the first American soccer league to implement promotion/relegation, it is still unfortunately common for clubs to pause or fold completely.
Memphis 901 FC folded a year ago. Rio Grande Valley FC folded in 2023, as did the San Diego Loyal. Austin Bold and Reno 1868 also folded within the last half-decade.
