Rangers find out conference and playoff format

The United Soccer League announced the alignment, regular season and playoff format for the 2016 USL Season today. The 30-game regular season league schedule is supposed to be released Tuesday, January 26^th at noon. The season is supposed to begin March 25^th and complete on September 25^th.

There will be 29 teams in USL for the 2016 season with 14 teams in the Eastern Conference and 15 teams in the Western Conference.

Swope Park Rangers, Sporting Kansas City's USL team, is one of six new teams in the USL for 2016. Bethlehem Steel FC, FC Cincinnati, Orlando City B, Rio Grande Valley FC and San Antonio are the other new teams.

The Rangers are in the Western Conference along with OKC Energy FC, (Sporting KC's former affiliate coached by Jimmy Nielsen) and cross state rival-to-be St. Louis FC moved to the West this year. They will also be in the same conference with LA Galaxy II led by former Kansas City coach Curt Onolfo.

The Rangers already have a supporters group forming and with St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Colorado Springs in the conference there should be some good opportunities for fans to travel.

Western Conference
Arizona United SC
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
LA Galaxy II
OKC Energy FC
Orange County Blues FC
Portland Timbers 2
Real Monarchs SLC
Rio Grande Valley FC
Sacramento Republic FC
Saint Louis FC
San Antonio
Seattle Sounders FC 2
Swope Park Rangers
Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

Eastern Conference
Bethlehem Steel FC                                
Charleston Battery                                                         
Charlotte Independence                                                
FC Cincinnati                                                                    
Harrisburg City Islanders                                              
Louisville City FC                                                             
FC Montreal                                                                     
New York Red Bulls II                                                      
Orlando City B                                                                  
Pittsburgh Riverhounds                                                  
Richmond Kickers                                                           
Rochester Rhinos                                                            
Toronto FC II                                                                    
Wilmington Hammerheads FC

Here is the map (if it helps)

Green dots for Eastern and Blue dots for Western...

USL Postseason

The team with the best record across both conferences will earn the 2016 USL Regular Season Title. The top eight teams in each conference will then advance to the 2016 USL Playoffs, which will see a single-elimination bracket crown two conference champions. The two conference champions will advance to the 2016 USL Championship.