USL2 Central Conference Preview
Deep North Division
Clubs: 7
Clubs Lost: 2 (moved to Heartland Division)
Expansion sides: 3
Matches: 12
Playoff Spots: TBD (2 in 2022)
The 2022 season in the Deep North was dominated by perennial National Championship challengers, Des Moines Menace and expansion side Peoria City. Both of those sides have been moved out of the Deep North and into the Heartland Division for 2023. Thunder Bay Chill, FC Manitoba, St. Croix SC, and Minneapolis City SC will continue in the division, the existing four sides will be joined by three expansion clubs. RKC Third Coast is the only tried and true expansion side as Bavarian United and Rochester FC are additions to already existing clubs.
With the changes to the division the geography has been massively reduced and now is similar to, though larger than, the NPSL North Conference. After their performance last season, tying Peoria City on 21 points, Thunder Bay Chill are unquestionably the favourites in the league. On the flip side of that Minneapolis City SC finished dead last in the division in 2022. The Crows new, and former MNUFC (NASL) and Forward Madison boss Carl Craig will look to right the ship and rebound in 2023.
Great Lakes Division
Clubs: 7
Clubs Lost: 0
Expansion sides: 0 (gained 1 from Valley)
Matches: 12
Playoff Spots: TBD (2 in 2022)
The Great Lakes Division is the most stable division, with only one change, in the conference and looks to be the most competitive as well. 2022 Valley Division champion South Bend Lions join the Great Lakes and will play alongside: AFC Ann Arbor, Flint City Bucks, Kalamazoo FC, Lansing City Football, Midwest United FC, and Oakland County FC.
After an ultra-competitive 2022 where the top four sides finished within 9 points of each other, 2023 looks to be even more wild. The addition of South Bend Lions throws in another very good team who look to push further after being knocked out of the USL2 playoffs in the first round. The Lions will have their work cut out for them as Kalamazoo, Flint City, and AFC Ann Arbor are looking to stake their claim in at the top of the table. Oakland County, Lansing City, and Midwest United all finished the previous season losing more than half their matches, OCFC is looking to build off the best season in club history while Lansing and Midwest United will be looking to improve on their season one performances.
Heartland Division
Clubs: 7
Clubs Lost: 3 (not playing in 2023)
Expansion sides: 1 (gained 2 from Deep North)
Matches: 12
Playoff Spots: TBD (2 in 2022)
From 2022 to 2023 the Heartland Division has had a number of big changes. First of those are that three of the top four finishing teams in 2022, Chicago FC United, Kaw Valley FC, and St. Louis Lions, have all left the division. The division will not have the number of sides change as they have gained back Des Moines Menace from the Deep North, Peoria City also joins from the Deep North, The new look Heartland is rounded out with expansion side St. Charles FC.
After last year’s performance in the Deep North, Des Moines and Peoria City along with Chicago City SC, will be easy favourites to win the division and gain it’s playoff spot (or spots). After a good performance putting up 19 points last season, FC Wichita will also look to challenge the top teams in the conference for the playoff spots. Springfield Athletic SC will look for major improvement after obtaining just 7 points on 14 matches in 2022. Chicago Dutch Lions make a surprising return to USL2 after having finished the previous season as the division punching bag, earning -3 points after forfeiting the last three matches of 2022.
Valley Division
Clubs: 6
Clubs Lost: 1 (moved to Great Lakes Division)
Expansion sides: 1
Matches: 12
Playoff Spots: TBD (2 in 2022)
Rounding out the Central Conference is the six team Valley division. 2022 division champion South Bend Lions have been moved to the Great Lakes division. All five of the other sides from the 2022 season return to the Valley. Finishing out the division is USL expansion side FC Buffalo, who make the move over to USL2 after playing in the NPSL since 2010.
Kings Hammer and Fort Wayne FC enter as the favourites to win the division in 2023. The Kentucky and Indiana based clubs were the only two teams to come anywhere close to South Bend’s 32 points last season. Kings Hammer tying them on points, but losing the tiebreaking and Fort Wayne finishing just six points back from the KHFC and South Bend. Toledo, Dayton, and Cleveland will all be looking to improve on overall awful 2022 season, that saw each side lost at least 65% of their matches. Having only qualified once for the NPSL playoffs and having their last winning season come in 2018, FC Buffalo will have their own major challenges to face as they will see an increase in level of play compared to the NPSL.