MNUFC2 ANNOUNCES 2023 MLS NEXT PRO SEASON SCHEDULE

MNUFC2 and MLS NEXT Pro announced today the full schedule for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.

MNUFC2 will kick off its second season in MLS NEXT Pro on the road against the Real Monarchs on Friday, March 24 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. Kickoff for the Season Opener is set for 9:00 p.m. CT and can be viewed on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

Following six consecutive matches on the road to begin the regular season, MNUFC2 is set to host Chicago Fire FC II in its 2023 Home Opener on Sunday, May 7 at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minn., with kick set for 7:00 p.m. CT. Tickets for MNUFC2’s Home Opener, along with the full slate of 2023 home matches, are now on sale and can be purchased here.

Additional key matchups this season include:

• St. Louis CITY2 away match on June 22
• Timbers2 home contest on July 2
• LAFC2 home game on July 16
• Austin FC II home match on September 10
• Decision Day match at Colorado Rapids 2 on September 24

A select number of MNUFC2 regular-season matches, plus all MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day matches, playoffs matches and MLS NEXT Pro Cup, will be available to watch live and on-demand on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. The remainder of regular season matches will stream live on mlsnextpro.com.  MLS Season Pass is the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer that is home to all MLS and Leagues Cup matches and hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches.

Schedule Subject to Change

All Times Central

2023 MNUFC2 Tickets at the National Sports Center Stadium

Single-game tickets for MNUFC2 home matches start as low as $12 and are now on sale. Group tickets (of 10 or more people) start at a rate of $10 per person.

Fans additionally have the option to purchase MNUFC2 Season Tickets: You can be at all 14 MNUFC2 home games this season for as little as $10 per ticket for general fans and $7 per ticket for MNUFC First Team Season Ticket Members. The first 100 STMs to purchase MNUFC2 season tickets can get seats starting at just $5 per game – $70 total for all 14 matches.

To purchase your tickets now, click here.

MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day 2023
All but one of the 27 clubs in the League will compete on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, September 24. Thirteen matches will take place to determine final playoff spots and seeding, with seven teams in each conference qualifying for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. MNUFC2 is set to travel to the Denver area to battle Colorado Rapids 2 at 4:00 p.m. CT. All Decision Day matches will be available live and on-demand on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

MLS NEXT Pro Conference Alignment

With the addition of seven new clubs this season, the Western Conference will consist of 14 clubs, while the Eastern Conference will have 13. Three of the four divisions will feature seven clubs each, while the Northeast will have six. The Eastern Conference will add Atlanta United 2 and Huntsville City FC to the Central Division and New York Red Bulls II and Crown Legacy FC to the Northeast Division. In the Western Conference, LA Galaxy II and LAFC2 will both join the Pacific Division while Austin FC II joins the Frontier Division. MNUFC2 competes in the Frontier Division of the Western Conference.

MLS NEXT Pro Schedule Construction
The complete 2023 schedule is available on mlsnextpro.com and consists of 378 regular season matches. Each club will play 28 matches over 27 weeks – an increase from 24 matches per club in 2022 – including 14 matches at home and 14 on the road.

New Playoff Format
The 2023 season will feature an expanded playoffs format that includes a pick-your-opponent element in the first two rounds.

Within each conference, the two division champions and the five clubs with the next highest points (seven clubs total) will advance to the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. The Playoffs will consist of three rounds followed by MLS NEXT Pro Cup, taking place over four consecutive weeks beginning the weekend of September 29. 

The club with the most regular season points in each conference (#1 seed) will earn a first-round bye, automatically advancing to the Conference Semifinals. 

Conference Quarterfinals:

• The next two teams with the most points in each conference (#2 and #3 seeds) will choose their opponent and host their match (one of two teams must be the other division champion)​
• The two remaining teams that are not selected will play each other, with the higher seeded team hosting

Conference Semifinals:

• The team with the most overall points in the conference (#1 seed) will choose its opponent from the remaining two lowest seeded teams and host the match
• The second highest seed will host the remaining team

Conference Finals:

• The team with the most regular season points (higher seed) will host the team with the lowest points (lower seed)

MLS NEXT Pro Cup:

• The team with the most regular season points (higher seed) will host MLS NEXT Pro Cup

Returning MLS NEXT Pro Rules
There will be no ties in MLS NEXT Pro once again in 2023.  Shootouts using kicks from the penalty mark will return this season to decide a match that is tied after regulation.  Both teams will receive one point each for the tie, with the winner of the shootout receiving one additional point (two points total). In 2022, 20% of matches resulted in a shootout.

Implemented midway through last season, both the Off-field Treatment Rule and Red Card Suspension Rule will also return in 2023.

Under the Off-field Treatment Rule: If a player is suspected to have an injury and is on the ground for longer than 15 seconds, medical personnel will come onto the field to evaluate the player and assist him off. Once the player is off the field, the player will be treated by the medical staff and will be required to remain off the field for three minutes.
 
Under the Red Card Suspension Rule: if a player receives a red card, he will serve the resulting one-game suspension against that same opponent.

New MLS NEXT Pro Rule
To further decrease preventable match delays and increase effective match time, this season will see the addition of a new Timed Substitution Rule, which will allow a maximum of 10 seconds for a player to leave the field when he is substituted. If the player does not leave the field of play within the 10 seconds, the replacement player will only be able to enter after a 60 second holding period, resulting in the offending team playing a man down for a minimum of one minute.**

Subscribing to MLS Season Pass**
Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for the price of $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month or $79 per season. A subscription to MLS Season Pass will be included with each full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.