Tampa Bay’s new first-division professional women’s soccer team on Thursday released its fall schedule for its upcoming inaugural season.
Tampa Bay Sun FC will open play in USL Super League Division I, the highest level in the United States for pro women’s soccer, on Aug. 18 in Tampa. It will conclude fall play on Dec. 14, before taking a winter break.
The team will play its first-ever match Aug. 18 against Dallas Trinity FC at Tampa’s Riverfront Stadium, the finale of USL Super League’s weekend of inaugural games.
Other highlights include cross-state matches against Ft. Lauderdale United Oct. 12 at home and Nov. 9 in South Florida. Tampa Bay Sun FC will close out the first half of its season Dec. 14 at home against Spokane Zephyr FC, which will be making the league’s longest road trip at 2,300 miles.
Each club will play a balanced 14-match schedule — seven at home and seven away — in both the fall and spring. The spring season begins in February.
The full regular season will run from August 2024 to late May 2025. The top four teams in the league standings will qualify for the postseason. The playoffs will consist of a single-elimination, fixed-bracket format featuring two semifinals and a final, and culminate with the USL Super League Final.
Tampa Bay Sun FC will play its first seasons in an upgraded and expanded stadium along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa that it will share with Blake High School while it searches for a permanent home. The club is making more than $6 million worth of upgrades to the stadium and facilities, which will feature more than 5,000 seats, FIFA-approved turf and the installation of a state-of-the-art scoreboard.
Deposits for season passes are now available at tampabaysunfc.com. Prices range from $15-37 per ticket per game for season pass holders. By placing a $24 deposit toward a season per seat, fans will join the Sunchaser Club and receive early access to pick their seating location. Options include standing-room only zones, mid-field views and waterside locations.
Frank Pastor is the assistant sports editor. Reach him at fpastor@tampabay.com.
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