Eastern Conference (USL Championship)

The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in USL Championship soccer.

Clubs timeline
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‡Orlando City B & Rochester Rhinos went on hiatus after the 2017 season.

2015 (12 teams)
Changes from 2014: USL Pro expanded and was rebranded as simply USL; the round robin table was split into two conferences: Eastern and Western.
 * Charleston Battery
 * Charlotte Independence
 * Harrisburg City Islanders
 * Louisville City FC
 * FC Montreal
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds
 * Richmond Kickers
 * Rochester Rhinos
 * St. Louis FC
 * Toronto FC II
 * Wilmington Hammerheads

2016 (14 teams)

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

Changes from 2015: Bethlehem Steel FC, FC Cincinnati and Orlando City B were added as expansion franchises; St. Louis FC moved out to the Western Conference.

2017 (15 teams)
Changes from 2016: Ottawa Fury FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies moved in from the North American Soccer League; FC Montreal was disbanded; Saint Louis FC moved back in from the Western Conference; Wilmington Hammerheads FC moved out to the Premier Development League (now USL League Two).
 * Bethlehem Steel FC
 * Charleston Battery
 * Charlotte Independence
 * FC Cincinnati
 * Harrisburg City Islanders
 * Louisville City FC
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * Orlando City B
 * Ottawa Fury FC
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds
 * Richmond Kickers
 * Rochester Rhinos
 * Saint Louis FC
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies
 * Toronto FC II

2018 (16 teams)
Changes from 2017: USL was divided into three divisions: Championship, League One and League Two; Atlanta United 2 was added as an expansion franchise; the Indy Eleven and North Carolina FC moved in from the North American Soccer League; the Harrisburg City Islanders were renamed Penn FC; Orlando City B and the Rochester Rhinos went on hiatus; Saint Louis FC moved out back to the Western Conference.
 * Atlanta United 2
 * Bethlehem Steel FC
 * Charleston Battery
 * Charlotte Independence
 * FC Cincinnati
 * Indy Eleven
 * Louisville City FC
 * Nashville SC
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * North Carolina FC
 * Ottawa Fury FC
 * Penn FC
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds
 * Richmond Kickers
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies
 * Toronto FC II

2019 (18 teams)
Changes from 2018: FC Cincinnati disbanded to make way for the MLS franchise; Birmingham Legion FC, Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC and Memphis 901 FC were added as expansion franchises; Saint Louis FC and the Swope Park Rangers moved in from the Western Conference; Orlando City B, the Richmond Kickers and Toronto FC II moved out to USL League One; Penn FC and the Rochester Rhinos went on hiatus. They will move to USL League One in 2020.
 * Atlanta United 2
 * Bethlehem Steel FC
 * Birmingham Legion FC
 * Charleston Battery
 * Charlotte Independence
 * Hartford Athletic
 * Indy Eleven
 * Loudoun United FC
 * Louisville City FC
 * Memphis 901 FC
 * Nashville SC
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * North Carolina FC
 * Ottawa Fury FC
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds
 * Saint Louis FC
 * Swope Park Rangers
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies

Group E (4 teams)

 * Indy Eleven
 * Louisville City FC
 * Saint Louis FC
 * Sporting Kansas City II

Group F (5 teams)

 * Hartford Athletic
 * Loudoun United FC
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * Philadelphia Union II
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Group G (4 teams)

 * Birmingham Legion FC
 * Charlotte Independence
 * Memphis 901 FC
 * North Carolina FC

Group H (4 teams)

 * Atlanta United 2
 * Charleston Battery
 * Miami FC
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies

Changes from 2019: Nashville SC moved out to Major League Soccer; Bethlehem Steel FC was renamed Philadelphia Union II; the Swope Park Rangers were renamed Sporting Kansas City II; Ottawa Fury FC was not sanctioned by U.S. Soccer and had their franchise rights sold to Miami FC; Penn FC was disbanded. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the conference was split into four groups. Three groups of four and one group of five.

Atlantic Division (8 teams)

 * Charleston Battery
 * Charlotte Independence
 * Hartford Athletic
 * Loudoun United FC
 * Miami FC
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies

Central Division (8 teams)
Changes from 2020: The conference was divided into two divisions, Atlantic and Central; the OKC Energy FC and FC Tulsa moved in from the Western Conference; North Carolina FC moved out to USL League One; Philadelphia Union II was withdrawn by its MLS parent club; Saint Louis FC was disbanded.
 * Atlanta United 2
 * Birmingham Legion FC
 * Indy Eleven
 * Louisville City FC
 * Memphis 901 FC
 * OKC Energy FC
 * Sporting Kansas City II
 * FC Tulsa

2022 (14 teams)
Changes from 2021: The Atlantic and Central divisions were dropped; OKC Energy FC went on hiatus; Charlotte Independence moved to USL League One; Detroit City FC joined from NISA; Sporting Kansas City II was withdrawn by its MLS parent club and moved to MLS Next Pro.
 * Atlanta United 2
 * Birmingham Legion FC
 * Charleston Battery
 * Detroit City FC
 * Hartford Athletic
 * Indy Eleven
 * Louisville City FC
 * Loudoun United FC
 * Memphis 901 FC
 * Miami FC
 * New York Red Bulls II
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies
 * FC Tulsa

2023 (12 teams)
Changes from 2022: Atlanta United 2 and New York Red Bulls II were withdrawn by its MLS parent club and moved to MLS Next Pro.
 * Birmingham Legion FC
 * Charleston Battery
 * Detroit City FC
 * Hartford Athletic
 * Indy Eleven
 * Louisville City FC
 * Loudoun United FC
 * Memphis 901 FC
 * Miami FC
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies
 * FC Tulsa

2024 (12 teams)
Changes from 2023: North Carolina FC returned from USL League One. Rhode Island FC was added as an expansion franchise. Memphis 901 FC and FC Tulsa were moved to the Western Conference.
 * Birmingham Legion FC
 * Charleston Battery
 * Detroit City FC
 * Hartford Athletic
 * Indy Eleven
 * Louisville City FC
 * Loudoun United FC
 * Miami FC
 * North Carolina FC
 * Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
 * Rhode Island FC
 * Tampa Bay Rowdies