2024 expansion club to make postseason appearance in inaugural season
PLAYOFF BERTH
On Saturday, Oct. 19, Rhode Island FC drew Charleston Battery 1-1 at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. With the draw, Rhode Island FC will clinch a berth in the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs. The draw came in the 33rd match of the 34-match USL Championship regular season. The Ocean State club currently sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with one match remaining.
HOW RHODE ISLAND FC WILL CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH
If Rhode Island FC were to lose to Miami FC on Oct. 26 the following scenarios would need to carry out in order for a three-way tie for 7th, 8th and 9th place to occur between Rhode Island FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and North Carolina FC:
- Hartford Athletic (43) finishes with 49 points:
- Win at Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 23
- Win at Orange County SC on Oct. 26
- Tampa Bay Rowdies (46) finishes with 49 points:
- Loss vs. Hartford Athletic on Oct. 23
- Win vs. Indy Eleven on Oct. 26
- Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (45) finishes with 48 points:
- Win vs. El Paso Locomotive FC on Oct. 26
- North Carolina FC finishes with 48 points:
- Win vs. Las Vegas Lights FC on Oct. 26
Based on USL Championship tiebreakers, because neither Rhode Island FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC or North Carolina FC holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over both other clubs in a scenario of a three-way tie, the opening two tiebreakers – Head-to-Head Points Earned and Goal Differential in Head-to-Head matches – would be discarded, bringing us to the third tiebreaker of Points-Per-Game vs. in-Conference Opponents.
Even after factoring in a Rhode Island FC loss vs. Miami FC, the three-way tie for 7th, 8th and 9th place in Eastern Conference (all three teams at 48 points) would factor out as follows due to the fact that Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and North Carolina FC face Western Conference opposition for their last matches on Oct. 26 and have reached their maximum number of points obtainable vs. in-conference opponents:
7TH | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – 1.5ppg (33 points / 22 games played)
8TH | Rhode Island FC – 1.41ppg (31 points / 22 games played)
9TH | North Carolina FC – 1.27ppg (28 points / 22 games played)
Therefore, the lowest Rhode Island FC can possibly finish the 2024 USL Championship regular season is in 8th place, the final playoff position.
2024 USL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference qualify for the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs, which kick off the weekend of Nov. 1-3. The top four teams in each conference earn the right to host. The 2024 USL Championship Playoffs are a single-elimination, fixed bracket format. The postseason will culminate with the 2024 USL Championship Final on Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. ET on CBS.
OCT 26 FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Limited tickets remain for Rhode Island FC’s Fan Appreciation Night, regular season finale on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. at Beirne Stadium. Single Match Tickets are on sale now starting at just $17 and can be purchased by calling 401-955-RIFC (7432) or by visiting rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
2025 SEASON TICKETS
2025 season ticket memberships are on sale now for Rhode Island FC’s second USL Championship season kicking off from The Stadium at Tidewater Landing. Fans can access the interactive 3D viewer and secure season ticket memberships at the new stadium by visiting rhodeislandfc.com/seasontickets.