PDL 2010 alignment announced

TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced the official alignment for the upcoming 2010 USL Premier Development League season, unveiling the conference and divisions for the 68-team league.

The conference and division alignments remain the same as 2009 with four conferences each containing two divisions of at least six teams. The clubs also remained relatively in place from their 2009 alignment with the exception of the Eastern Conference, which saw the three New Jersey clubs switch to the Mid Atlantic Division with four more northerly-based franchises entering the Northeast Division.

The four new Northeast Division teams are part of a group of nine teams that will make their PDL debut this season, three of whom are returning USL clubs. Former PDL club Vermont Voltage, returning from a year off due to stadium renovations, is one of trio along with former USL Second Division sides Bermuda Hogges and Western Mass Pioneers.

New franchises in the conference are led by the MPS Portland Phoenix and two new expansion sides in Albany, NY and Central Jersey. The three other first-year teams will be the previously announced Dayton Dutch Lions and Fort Lauderdale franchises along with a team returning in Rochester, MN.

2010 PDL Alignment

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division: Chicago Fire, Cincinnati Kings, Cleveland Internationals, Dayton Dutch Lions, Forest City London, Indiana Invaders, Kalamazoo Outrage, Michigan Bucks, Toronto Lynx Heartland Division: Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Real Colorado Foxes, Rochester (MN), Springfield Demize, St Louis Lions, Thunder Bay Chill

Eastern Conference

Mid Atlantic Division: Bermuda Hogges, Carolina Dynamo, Central Jersey, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Ironbound Express, New Jersey Rangers, Northern Virginia Royals, Ocean City Barons, Reading United, West Virginia Chaos Northeast Division: Albany (NY), Brooklyn Knights, Long Island Rough Riders, New Hampshire Phantoms, Ottawa Fury, MPS Portland Phoenix, Vermont Voltage, Western Mass Pioneers, Westchester Flames

Southern Conference

Mid South Division: DFW Tornados, El Paso Patriots, Houston Leones, Laredo Heat, Rio Grande Valley Bravos, West Texas United Sockers Southeast Division: Atlanta Blackhawks, Baton Rouge Capitals, Central Florida Kraze, Fort Lauderdale, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros, New Orleans Jesters, Panama City Pirates

Western Conference

Northwest Division: Abbotsford Mariners, Kitsap Pumas, Portland Timbers U23, Spokane Spiders, Tacoma Tide, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, Victoria Highlanders, Washington Crossfire, Yakima Reds Southwest Division: BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Hollywood United Hitmen, Lancaster Rattlers, Los Angeles Legends, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion

12/25/09