BY DAN STICKRADT
Communications Specialist | Web And Content Editor | Director of News |
Social Media Director | Interns and Freelance Coordinator
PH: (248) 884-1051
TW: @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
FLINT, Mich. – The partnership will continue in 2024.
The Michigan Soccer Network renewed its partnership and commitment to live stream and broadcast all Flint City Bucks and Flint City AFC home games in the late spring and summer months. Flint City’s USL League Two and W League regular season home games will be streamed to MSN’s Facebook, YouTube and Caffeine TV platforms for both the men’s and women's teams.
“We’re excited to renew this partnership with MSN for the upcoming Flint City Bucks and Flint City AFC teams,” said Flint City Bucks/Flint City AFC President Costa Papista. “We felt like MSN’s broadcasts last year were very professionally done and we received some great reviews from the public. We had comments from parents, relatives and friends from out of the state or even from different countries who loved the broadcasts. For many of them this is the only way to watch the Flint City games and watch their loved ones.” In addition, the Michigan Soccer Network will be committed to producing dozens of digital game-day and feature stories for both of the Flint City franchises for the upcoming campaigns on its website
“Last year was a great first year for the Flint City Bucks and Flint City AFC, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue this partnership in 2024 and beyond,” said Michigan Soccer Network Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner. “We really look forward to this season. There’s a lot of history with the Bucks.” The Flint City Bucks (formerly Mid-Michigan Bucks and Michigan Bucks) moved to Flint in 2019 and have become one of the nation’s most successful amateur teams in North America over the last three decades. The Flint City Bucks were formed in the fall of 1995 as the Saginaw-based Mid-Michigan Bucks and began their debut season in 1996. The franchise moved in 2004 to Plymouth and again to Pontiac in
2008 before relocating to Flint before the 2019 campaign. Home games will again be played at the historic Flint Atwood Stadium near the campus of Kettering University. Overall, the Bucks have captured four North American championships (2006, 2014, 2016 and 2019),
finished as the runner-up twice (2000 and 2007), reached the Final Four eight times, have captured numerous division or conference championships and qualified for the postseason over 75 percent of its seasons dating back to the mid-1990s.
The Flint City AFC will enter its third season of competition in 2024. Flint City AFC finished last in the League Great Lakes Division during its debut 2022 season before turning the tables and winning the Great Lakes Division in 2023. The franchise was knocked out during the first round of the postseason last year in its first postseason appearance.
For season tickets, general ticket sales, merchandise, rosters, press releases and more for the Flint City Bucks or Flint City AFC, visit www.flintcitybucks.com or www.flintcityafc.com, respectively. MSN, owned and operated by the Premier Media Group, was founded and May of 2022 with the aim of becoming Michigan’s leading media soccer source and broadcast brand. Each Flint City game this year will feature a pre-game show, halftime report and postgame coverage including player and coaches interviews.
In order to watch broadcasts all you have to do is follow MSN @misoccernetwork on all social media platforms, or subscribe to both the michigansoccernetwork on Youtube at
www.youtube.com/@MICHIGANSOCCERNETWORK or on Caffeine TV at www.caffeine.tv.
Divisional alignments for 2024 season:
MEN’S SOCCER:
UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES—GREAT LAKES DIVISION:
AFC Ann Arbor
Flint City Bucks
Kalamazoo FC
Lansing City Football
Midwest United FC
Oakland County FC
South Bend Michiana Lions
Union FC Macomb*
An asterisk * denotes a new franchise in the USL League Two
WOMEN’S SOCCER:
UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES W-LEAGUE—GREAT LAKES DIVISION
AFC Ann Arbor
Cleveland Force SC
Flint City AFC
Kalamazoo FC
Midwest United FC
South Bend Michiana
USL LEAGUE TWO REALINGMENT SET FOR 18 DIVISIONS IN 2024
The Flint City Bucks will makes its home debut on Saturday, May 25, against Lansing City Football. The Bucks will open its season on the road against the South Bend, Indiana-based Michiana Lions.
The Flint City AFC will begin its season at home May 11 against Detroit City FC.
TAMPA, Fla. – League Two, the USL’s elite pre-professional league for men, has announced its divisional realignment for the 2024 season.
TAMPA, Fla. – League Two, the USL’s elite pre-professional league for men, has announced its divisional realignment for the 2024 season.
“We could not be more excited for the start of the 2024 USL League Two season,” said USL SVP of Youth and Pre-Professional Properties Joel Nash. “Every year, our divisions continue to get stronger, and our footprint increases. It gives players, coaches and executives from all over the country the opportunity to be a part of a high-level soccer organization in their own backyards.”
USL League Two will feature 18 different divisions, grouped into four conferences. Each team will play 10 to 14 regular season games before the North American playoffs begin in mid-July. Complete information for divisional alignments and media information can be found at www.uslleaguetwo.com.
EXPANSION
League Two is adding 20 expansion teams in 2024 to raise the total number to a USL-record 128 teams. The Seattle area in particular is seeing rapid growth, as West Seattle Junction, Midlakes United and Tacoma Stars join defending champions Ballard FC in the Emerald City.
The Eastern Conference now has 40 clubs, including newcomers Salem City and Charlottesville Blues. The Southern Conference will welcome seven newcomers including Hill Country Lobos, Athens United, and Inter Gainesville KF.
In Michigan, the Union FC Macomb, which will be based in Macomb County area, will make its debut campaign in 2024. The will participate in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.
COMPETITION STRUCTURE UPDATE
New in the 2024 season, a Qualifying Round will be introduced to the Eastern Conference quadrant of the USL League Two Playoffs at the end of the season. The Eastern Conference will have 40 clubs participate in the 2024 season, while the next-largest conference (Western) contains 32 clubs.
Five divisional winners (Mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake, South Atlantic, Northeast and Metropolitan) will all receive an automatic bid. Six additional teams, including the second-place teams in each division and the third-place team with the highest league points per game total between Northeast and Metropolitan will gain entry to the Qualifying Round. The three winners of the matches in that round will enter the full bracket in the Round of 32. Their matchups in the Round of 32 will be determined by factoring in travel distance and points per game.
USL LEAGUE TWO—CENTRAL CONFERENCE:
(Michigan franchises in bold print)
GREAT LAKES DIVISION:
AFC Ann Arbor
Flint City Bucks
Kalamazoo FC
Lansing City Football
Midwest United FC
Oakland County FC
South Bend Michiana Lions
Union FC Macomb*
VALLEY DIVISION
Cleveland Force SC
Dayton Dutch Lions FC
Fort Wayne FC
Kings Hammer FC
Toledo Villa FC
FC Buffalo
HEARTLAND DIVISION
Chicago City SC
Des Moines Menace
Peoria City
St. Charles FC
Chicago Dutch Lions
Sueno FC*
River Light FC*
DEEP NORTH DIVISION
RKC Third Coast
St. Croix Legends
Rochester FC
Minneapolis City SC
Bavarian United SC
Thunder Bay Chill
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