As the year comes to an end, and we start looking ahead to the 2026 USL Championship season, how is the theoretical temperature of your club looking? 

We think we have the answer. 

Based on a brilliant idea by ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, we’re going to use a little math to determine which teams are approaching boiling point, and which are cooling off after their absence from the postseason over the last couple of years. 

Here’s how it works: The starting temperature for each club at the inception of its tenure in the USL Championship – see 2011 for the Charleston Battery, Orange County SC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, or 2015 for Louisville City FC and 2024 for Rhode Island FC – is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, or room temperature. 

From there, each club gains heat from its on-field achievements each season, now including success in the USL Cup as a bonus side-quest – good news, Hartford Athletic. 

• Finish above .500: +5 degrees 

• Earn 59 percent of available regular season points: +3 degrees 

• Reach the USL Cup Knockout Stage: +2 degrees 

• Each USL Cup Knockout Stage Win: +2 degrees 

• USL Cup Runner-Up: +10 degrees 

• USL Cup Winner: +15 degrees 

• Reach the Playoffs: +2 degrees 

• Each Playoff Win: +2 degrees 

• USL Championship Final Runner-Up: +15 degrees 

• USL Championship Final Winner: +25 degrees 

After that’s been calculated, the next season's beginning temperature is 90.85% of the previous season's total, and teams continue to accumulate – or not – based on their success. 

Got it? Good. 

Here we go.

1. Louisville City FC (164.5º)

Franchise Peak: 179.4º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 81º in 2015 
Year-on-Year Change: -5.6º 

Another record-setting regular season saw Louisville City raise the bar for points-per-game to 2.43ppg and lose only once to maximize its regular season points. The club’s surprise opening round exit in the postseason and lack of advancement in the USL Cup, however, means a slight cooling overall in the ratings.  

When you’ve been as consistent for as long as LouCity has been, it doesn’t take much to see a drop in temperature, but we’re expecting another big year ahead for Head Coach Danny Cruz’s side, which remains well ahead of its rivals at the top. 

2. Charleston Battery (119.3º)

Franchise Peak: 121.8º (2012) 
Franchise Low: 89.1º (2022) 
Year-on-Year Change: -1.1º  

The Battery move up a slot after maximizing their regular season points, which effectively held them steady overall in the system, but the lack of advancement in the USL Cup and elimination in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in a penalty shootout meant setting a new club peak remained just out of reach this year. 

While there might be concern at the numerous key figures from the past two campaigns having headed to new pastures this offseason, we’re still confident in the core the Battery have set to return. It’s unlikely they’re going to stand pat for long in terms of adding reinforcements to the squad, making another charge likely in 2026. 

3. Phoenix Rising FC (117º)

Franchise Peak: (134.8º in 2023) 
Franchise Low: 59.4º in 2016) 
Year-on-Year Change: -7.4º

Rising is still feeling the effect of the high of winning the 2023 USL Championship Final, but the club’s drop this season was less than a year ago as Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah’s side pulled out a postseason win before falling to eventual Western Conference title-winner FC Tulsa in the conference semifinals. 

The big key for Phoenix next season will be to turn more of their draws – a league-high 13 – into victories to hit more regular season targets and get into contention for the top spot in the West. 

4. Sacramento Republic FC (110.3º)

Franchise Peak: 113º in 2014 
Franchise Low: 92º in 2021 
Year-on-Year Change: +14.2º 

The only thing missing from Head Coach Neill Collins’ first season in charge at Sacramento Republic FC to make it an unqualified success was silverware.  

Republic FC’s second-place finish in the regular season saw it hit the bonus of being above .500 in points as well as reach the playoffs, but its run in the USL Cup is the biggest reason it’s risen from No. 8 a season ago. While it might have fallen in the Final to Hartford, another strong season could put Sacramento within range of its franchise peak and silverware in 2026. 

5. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (108.8º)

Franchise Peak: (108.8º in 2025) 
Franchise Low: 56.9º in 2017) 
Year-on-Year Change: +27.5º 

It’s good to be the king.  

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s run to its first league title in club history pushed it all the way up from No. 11 a season ago to the highest rating in the USL Championship era as the club’s stellar defense carried it all the way to a thrilling penalty shootout win against FC Tulsa last month.  

With Rob Vincent now at the helm full-time as Head Coach, it’s going to be fascinating to see how the Hounds follow up the breakthrough that’s long been anticipated at Highmark Stadium after its arrival. 

6. Tampa Bay Rowdies (108.7º)

Franchise Peak: 123.1º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 73.6º in 2018 
Year-on-Year Change: -11º 

Year-on-year, this is the largest drop the Rowdies have experienced since joining the USL Championship in 2017 – when the bottom fell out in 2018, they didn’t have nearly as far to fall, percentage-wise, from the previous year. After missing the postseason for the first time since that season, Tampa Bay has already been busy reloading its squad for new Head Coach Dominic Casciato with big things expected at Al Lang Stadium in short order. 

7. Rhode Island FC (100.9º)

Franchise Peak: 100.9º in 2025 
Franchise Low: 100º in 2024 
Year-on-Year Change: +0.9º 

Rhode Island FC didn’t do much in the regular season, but across the USL Championship Playoffs and USL Cup the side managed to gain enough points to basically hold steady in these rankings after Year 2.  

RIFC will be wanting to make improvements in its consistency over the 2026 regular season – a first home playoff game at Centreville Bank Stadium will be a moment to relish for the club’s fans – but you can’t deny this side’s ability to rise to big moments in the playoffs over its short history. 

8. San Antonio FC (91.8º)

Franchise Peak: 107.1º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 63.9º in 2019 
Year-on-Year Change: -4.8º  

San Antonio FC’s campaign might be the most emblematic in these rankings of the USL Championship season as a whole. The club advanced to both the postseason and the USL Cup knockout stage, but still found itself in a cooling cycle, losing almost five degrees in its rating. 

That was typical of much of the Western Conference overall. Only FC Tulsa – who we’ll get to in a minute – finished above the threshold of gaining 59 percent of available points, and only Sacramento and New Mexico United gained more than half the available points in the regular season. Hence how muddled the postseason picture was at the end, and why this felt like a building season for most, including SAFC under new Head Coach Carlos Llamosa. 

9. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (91.1º)

Franchise Peak: 98.1º in 2024 
Franchise Low: 54.9º in 2020 
Year-on-Year Change: -7º 

In comparison to their 2024 title-winning campaign, the Switchbacks never seemed to catch fire in the same way during their title defense. There were good moments, but the name of the game here is consistency and a No. 8-seed and first round exit aren’t going to propel you to new heights. With a shake-up in the front office and sidelines seeing Alan McCann take the helm in the new year, though, we’re optimistic the Switchbacks can get back to contention.  

10. Orange County SC (82.6º)

Franchise Peak: 99.1º in 2021 
Franchise Low: 56.8º in 2017 
Year-on-Year Change: -3.9º  

In keeping with the rest of the Western Conference, Orange County SC had an inconsistent year overall, but ended the campaign with positive momentum to earn a place in the postseason and then sprung a major surprise with its upset of Sacramento Republic FC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.  

That was enough to ensure the club’s temperature didn’t drop too steeply this year. Now the onus will be on Head Coach Danny Stone to find more consistency from his younger charges as they look to get back to top-three contention.

11. New Mexico United (79.4º)

Franchise Peak: 80.8º in 2020 
Franchise Low: 73º in 2023 
Year-on-Year Change: +4.1º

New Mexico United’s top-three finish didn’t quite hit the heights of its 2024 campaign, but overall it was another positive step forward for a club that’s been as steady as it comes when it comes to postseason contention and now seems on the brink of a breakthrough.  

Earning a first trip to the Western Conference Final was a plus for Head Coach Dennis Sanchez, even though the matchup with FC Tulsa’s aggressive style is one NMU is going to have to figure out a way to counter in the new year. This is the club’s second-highest rating overall after 2020, however, and the chance to break new ground seems apparent. 

12. Detroit City FC (73º)

Franchise Peak: 79º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 73º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -2.9º 

Wait a minute, didn’t Detroit City just pull off the biggest upset in the USL Championship Playoffs? Yes, they did, but this ranking doesn’t offer big bonuses for that. Instead, Le Rouge drop close to room temperature after gaining only the bonus for reaching the playoffs and upsetting Louisville City in the first round after finishing with nine regular season wins – one of two clubs to reach the playoffs in the East despite having more losses than victories. 

There’s clearly the appetite for a return to the top three – returning Maxi Rodriguez to the fold should be a welcome addition – and now it’s up to Head Coach Danny Dichio to make that happen and get Le Rouge on the boil again. 

13. Hartford Athletic (71.6º)

Franchise Peak: 75.4º in 2020 
Franchise Low: 51.3º in 2024 
Year-on-Year Change: +20.3º 

To coin a phrase, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but the progress Hartford Athletic made this season in winning its first silverware in club history and getting the upper hand on El Clamico rival Rhode Island both on the field and in the standings was a significant step forward in Head Coach Brendan Burke’s second year. 

After the lowest rating in club history last season, the club’s peak – when it took advantage of a weak group to reach the playoffs in 2020 – is back within sight. Hartford’s got the potential to grow from here and hit new heights in 2026. 

14. FC Tulsa (68.5º)

Franchise Peak: 72º in 2015 
Franchise Low: 41.3º in 2024 
Year-on-Year Change: +27.2º 

At this time last year, the Scissortails were bottom of the pile in these rankings, but we had hope. “With a new leadership team in place with Head Coach Luke Spencer, Sporting Director Caleb Sewell and Technical Director Mario Sanchez, the vibes are right for a resurgence,” we wrote at the time. 

Well, it’s nice to be correct occasionally. Tulsa’s outstanding regular season and run to the Western Conference title made it the second-biggest mover to Pittsburgh this year and put it back within distance of room temperature, a place it hadn’t inhabited since the end of its inaugural season. After the years of postseason absences added up, we’re hoping for more of the same from the Scissortails as their follow-up.

15. El Paso Locomotive FC (65.8º)

Franchise Peak: 91.2º in 2021 
Franchise Low: 65.8º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -4.4º  

On one hand, this was a successful season for Locomotive. It returned to the top four in the Western Conference and hosted a playoff game for the first time since its peak in 2021. At the same time, it failed to reach any of the bonus benchmarks that could lift its season, earning only 10 regular season wins and a Western Conference Quarterfinals exit, which ended up with a change at the helm.  

El Paso is now set to be led into 2026 by a new head coach. Whether that translates to a more consistent win percentage – and challenge to the top contenders – remains to be seen. 

16. Birmingham Legion FC (65.7º)

Franchise Peak: 81º in 2021 
Franchise Low: 65.7º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -4.4º

This was not the bounce-back year Legion was hoping for as it missed the postseason for a second consecutive year. Even the mid-season appointment of Mark Briggs as the second Head Coach in club history wasn’t enough to save things, although the club did get a small boost from earning a place in the USL Cup knockout stage before its elimination by Rhode Island FC. 

That’s led to wholesale changes this offseason as Briggs looks to make his mark on the squad and future direction. Don’t bet against Birmingham – there’s a parallel here between the situation Briggs dug out of at the end of 2021 in Sacramento when the club had its lowest rating in this ranking and the upward trajectory the club took from there. We’re very interested to see how it plays out.  

17. Indy Eleven (62.4º)

Franchise Peak: 85.8º in 2019 
Franchise Low: 62.4º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -4.1º 

Hello darkness, my old friend. At the midway point of the season, Indy looked in reasonable shape for a good year, having advanced as its group winner in the USL Cup and sitting in playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. Then it fell in a penalty shootout to Greenville Triumph SC in the Cup and lost 10 of its last 15 games in the league to end the season two points out of the playoffs.  

That brings the Boys in Blue to its lowest rating in these rankings over its USL Championship tenure and still looking for its first postseason victory since 2019. The only way is up, you’d hope. 

18. Oakland Roots SC (60.3º)

Franchise Peak: 78º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 60.3º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -6.1º 

Oakland Roots SC’s first year at the iconic Oakland-Alameda Coliseum did not live up to expectations. As a result, the club has reorganized its technical set-up and installed Ryan Martin as its new Head Coach after his effective turnaround of Loudoun United FC over the past three seasons. 

It could take time to coalesce into something great, even with Martin bringing with him some key pieces from his successful Loudoun side, but after hitting a low-point at the end of the past season there should be major reason for optimism for Roots fans as they look to the new season.  

19. Lexington SC (59.4º)

Franchise Peak: 72º in 2023 
Franchise Low: 59.4º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -6º  

Lexington SC came into its first USL Championship season with an almost completely overhauled roster – which by the end of the season had managed to shed the last of the holdovers on loan – and ended up tumbling from a potential top-four finish to out of the playoffs after taking only one point from its final five games. 

Not to be deterred, Lexington is continuing to go big this offseason, acquiring perennial All-League midfielder Aaron Molloy from Charleston for a league-record transfer fee between USL Championship clubs. Expectations are going to be high for new Head Coach Masaki Hemmi as he takes the wheel. 

20. Miami FC (54.5º)

Franchise Peak: 72.8º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 54.5º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -5.5º  

To be clear, the 2025 season wasn’t the disaster that the prior year was for Miami FC. The club almost tripled its win and point total year-on-year and managed to climb out of the basement in the Eastern Conference with its two wins over the final two games of the regular season. 

Unfortunately, these rankings are unforgiving when it comes to missing the postseason, meaning Miami is going to have to start making progress to finishing above the playoff line if it is going to arrest its current slide. 

21. Monterey Bay FC (54º)

Franchise Peak: 72º in 2022 
Franchise Low: 54º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -5.4º  

With this year seeing Loudoun United reach the playoffs for the first time, Monterey Bay FC is now in possession of the longest postseason drought in the USL Championship with the side yet to reach the playoffs in its four-year history. This year technically saw the side take a small step back – it averaged fewer than a point-per-game in the regular season – even while it seemed to make progress in some areas. 

The appointment of Oliver Wyss as the club’s new Chairman and Chief Soccer Officer should offer reason for optimism, though. With his experience at the club and league level, there could be brighter days ahead at Cardinale Stadium. 

22. Las Vegas Lights FC (46.8º)

Franchise Peak: 72º in 2018 
Franchise Low: 44.6º in 2023 
Year-on-Year Change: -4.7º

If 2024 was a step forward for Las Vegas Lights FC as it gained +6.9º in these rankings, then the past season was a step back as the club missed the postseason and finished last in the Western Conference. Now the key for the Lights is going to be rebuilding its roster to give new Head Coach Devin Rensing the best chance to succeed in his first pro Head Coaching position. 

Some moves already look positive – the arrival of veterans Aaron Guillen and Manuel Arteaga should help matters – as Las Vegas looks to get back on course in 2026. 

23. Loudoun United FC (44.5º)

Franchise Peak: 72º in 2019 
Franchise Low: 44.5º in 2025 
Year-on-Year Change: -0.1º

It’s the harsh reality of these rankings that as much progress as Loudoun United made in 2025 – earning its first trip to the playoffs and a place in the knockout stage of the USL Cup – that it basically held steady to slip to last place in the rankings this year.  

The lack of victories in either the USL Cup knockout stage – losing in a penalty shootout to Sacramento Republic FC – or the USL Championship Playoffs were the main culprit. As we wait for the club to announce its new Head Coach after the departure of Ryan Martin to Oakland Roots, there’s plenty up in the air for United this offseason.