Huntsville City Football Club Announces Inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Schedule

Huntsville City Football Club announced the schedule for their inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season.

Set to kick off at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 26 against Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Crown Legacy FC, Huntsville City FC will start the season with seven consecutive road matches and a bye week before the grand opening of Joe Davis Stadium on May 19, also against Crown Legacy FC.  

“We’re really excited to have the schedule here. There’s been a lot of hard work that has been going on for the past couple of months behind the scenes both on and off the pitch. Now we can finally set our sights on that first game,” says Head Coach Jack Collison. “Going to Crown Legacy we know is going to be a difficult challenge, they have made some really good signings in the offseason, but we’re going to go there full of confidence and looking forward to putting our best foot forward. We want to get off to a good start, we’re under no illusions it’s not going to be difficult on the road, because being on the road for the first seven games is obviously going to present certain challenges in itself. As a group it’s really going to test and stretch us, but it’s the challenge in which we really crave both as players and as staff.”  

All Huntsville City FC regular season matches will be available to watch live and on-demand on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. MLS Season Pass is the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer that is home to all MLS and Leagues Cup matches and hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches. The broadcast schedule is subject to change so please visit the club’s website to stay up-to-date on broadcast information.  

“We can’t wait for that home opener at Joe Davis Stadium on May 19,” continues Collison. “You can see the stadium coming together, I drive past it every single day and checking on the progress and it looks like an incredible venue. We as a group are really excited to get in there, and play that first game, once again against Crown Legacy.” 

Huntsville City FC will play host to the best MLS NEXT Pro clubs throughout their first season, including 12 teams whose parent clubs mirror a team that Nashville SC will face in 2023.

Throughout the season, the North Alabama and Tennessee Valley region will have the opportunity to see the best young talent North American soccer has to offer as the club develops fierce rivalries with a pair of matches against Atlanta United 2, and Orlando City B. Additionally, Huntsville City FC will take on Columbus Crew 2, Crown Legacy and Inter Miami CF three times each this season. 

Highlighting the local flair will be the first match against Atlanta United 2 on July 23 in Georgia as Collison returns to Atlanta for the first time to square off against his former side. HCFC will host Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Joe Davis Stadium, before closing out the regular season against Chicago Fire FC II on Sept. 23 at home.

“We are looking forward to the season ahead. It’s great that we have a schedule so we can get our teeth into it now. Now it’s about fine tuning over the next couple of weeks to make sure we are ready and come that first game on, we are firing on all cylinders,” says Collison

The home opener on May 19 will mark the beginning of a four-match homestand for Huntsville City FC. Fans can now purchase their season ticket memberships at www.mlsnextpro.com/huntsvillecityfc/tickets.

Steven Boero