Clubs will play even number of Spring Season and Fall Season games

Photo credit: Indy Eleven/Trevor Ruszkowski

The NASL announced today the format for the 2017 season, which will kick off on Saturday, March 25.

Each NASL club will compete in a 16-game Spring Season, followed by a 16-game Fall Season, hosting eight home games in each.

“Over the years, our intense split-season competition has produced the drama and excitement that fans crave,” NASL Interim Commissioner Rishi Sehgal said. “The 2017 season will be no different, and we can’t wait to watch our clubs battle each other week in and week out.

"We wanted to bring more games to the fans, so we decided to add four more games - two at home, two away - for each club."

The champions from each season will earn the right to host a semifinal game in The Championship, the league’s four-club postseason tournament, on the weekend of November 4. The Championship Final will be played on the weekend of November 11.

“Over the last 18 months we’ve been preparing for this day,” San Francisco Deltas CEO Brian Andrés Helmick said. “From installing thousands of Candlestick Park seats in historic Kezar Stadium to scouring the U.S. and the world for players, the team has put in a lot of hard work to make this day special for our loyal fans in San Francisco.”

“We’re very excited for the 2017 NASL season,” The Miami FC CEO Sean Flynn said. “We’re committed to building strong community ties, providing an exceptional match-day experience, and presenting competitive, quality soccer to South Florida.”

Eight clubs will take the field in 2017: FC Edmonton, Indy Eleven, Jacksonville Armada FC, The Miami FC, New York Cosmos, North Carolina FC, Puerto Rico FC, and San Francisco Deltas.

The league expects to release the full 2017 schedule in the coming weeks.