ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Thursday the club had acquired defender Brian Schaefer on loan from FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer for the 2026 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval and per club policy the terms of the loan agreement were not disclosed.

Schaefer returns to the USL Championship for a second consecutive season having spent time on loan with Indy Eleven in the latter stages of the 2025 campaign. The 23-year-old center back recorded nine appearances and logged one goal and one assist while winning 62 duels at a 68.1 percent success rate and 13 tackles at a 72.2 percent success rate.

Selected by FC Cincinnati with the No. 27 pick of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Schaefer is no stranger to the Tampa Bay region. He previously played four years of college soccer at the University of South Florida, netting five goals across 53 appearances for the Bulls before moving to the professional ranks.

As he entered the pro ranks, Schaefer led FC Cincinnati 2 in minutes played during his rookie season in and has recorded five goals in 50 appearances across all competitions over his two seasons with Cincinnati.

“Brian is a player that I’ve tracked since he was drafted by Cincinnati two years ago, so I’m delighted to add him to our group for 2026,” said Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato. “He’s a physically dominant center back that did well on loan at Indy last season, so I’m excited to get to work with him and see what he can do in Green and Gold this year.”

Prior to his college career, Schaefer was a standout high school player in the Sunshine State for Fletcher High School. The Atlantic Beach, Fla. native recorded 19 goals and 26 assists as a midfielder during his senior year of high school.