Charlotte FC

Crown Legacy FC releases its 2023 schedule. Here’s how to watch Charlotte FC’s future.

José Tavares (right front) is the first head coach of Crown Legacy, Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro team.
José Tavares (right front) is the first head coach of Crown Legacy, Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro team. Courtesy of Charlotte FC

The dawn of Crown Legacy is upon us.

Crown Legacy FC, the MLS NEXT Pro team affiliated with Charlotte FC, released its 2023 schedule on Tuesday. The club will begin its 28-match inaugural season on March 26, when it takes on Huntsville City FC at home at 3 p.m.

All 14 home matches will take place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews. All matches can either be watched with an MLS Season Pass subscription on Apple TV or on mlsnextpro.com.

Tickets are $15. The season ticket package is $140 (or $10 per home game).

Crown Legacy FC is the squad within the CLTFC organization tasked with finding and developing the talent that will one day help the top-level team. That means fans who watch this team will get a glimpse at the future of Charlotte FC.

Among the notable players who will spend a bulk of the spring and summer with Crown Legacy include Nikola Petković, a midfielder out of Serbia who Charlotte acquired for a reported $3 million transfer fee, and Brian Romero, the 16-year-old whose left-footed shot turned a 2022 summer friendly against Chelsea into an unforgettable night at Bank of America Stadium.

The team will be coached by José Tavares, a noted talent-developer from prestigious Portugal club FC Porto.

Crown Legacy FC, Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro team, is an integral part of Charlotte FC’s professional development pathway.
Crown Legacy FC, Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro team, is an integral part of Charlotte FC’s professional development pathway. Courtesy of Crown Legacy

A couple of notes about the schedule to consider:

Most Crown Legacy FC matches fall on Fridays or Sundays. This is intentional: Charlotte FC matches mostly land on Saturdays, after all, and this thus gives players on the CLTFC first team a chance to supplement their playing time at the Crown Legacy level when necessary. As Crown Legacy FC president Darrius Barnes explained it: “You will occasionally see first-team players coming down to play with Crown Legacy FC, which has kind of been our approach from the beginning.”

Crown Legacy FC and Charlotte FC have coordinated their schedules. There are 10 weekends in which the two clubs play at home on the same weekend. Those matches include the Crown Legacy home-opener (March 26), as well as the weekends of April 14, April 22, May 5, May 19, June 11, June 24, July 8, August 26 and September 16.

The full schedule for Crown Legacy FC’s inaugural season.
The full schedule for Crown Legacy FC’s inaugural season. Courtesy of Crown Legacy FC

Crown Legacy FC 2023 schedule

OpponentDateHome/Away
Huntsville CityMarch 26Home
FC Cincinnati 2March 31Home
New York Red Bulls IIApril 9Away
Inter Miami CF IIApril 14Home
Columbus Crew 2April 23Home
NYCFC 2April 30Away
Orlando City BMay 5Home
Atlanta United 2May 14Away
Huntsville CityMay 19Away
Philadelphia Union IIMay 24Home
Chicago Fire FC IIMay 28Away
Columbus Crew 2June 11Away
Philadelphia Union IIJune 14Away
New York Red Bulls IIJune 18Home
Chicago Fire FC IIJune 25Home
Toronto FC IIJune 30Away
Atlanta United 2July 9Home
New England Revolution IIJuly 12Away
NYCFC 2July 23Home
FC CincinnatiJuly 29Away
Atlanta United 2August 9Away
Huntsville CityAugust 13Home
Inter Miami CF IIAugust 19Away
Toronto FC IIAugust 25Home
Orlando City BSeptember 3Away
New York Red Bulls IISeptember 10Home
New England Revolution IISeptember 17Home
Toronto FC IISeptember 24Away

This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 2:00 PM.

Alex Zietlow
The Charlotte Observer
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
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