USL Championship players to strike next week after CBA protest in season opener

Tom Weber

• Updated: 7 Mar 2026 09:42 CST
• 4 min read

News

USL Championship players protested in the opening game of the 2026 season amid ongoing negotiations over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The CBA standoff between the league and its athletes entered a new phase on Friday when players from Lexington SC and Louisville City stood still for the first minute of their clash in the rivalry fixture known as the Commonwealth Cup.

It was the opening game of the 2026 USL Championship season and was overshadowed by the league's ongoing dispute with the USL Players Association (USLPA) over a new bargaining agreement.

It came in the wake of USL players authorising the Bargaining Committee to call a potential strike if necessary. More than 90% of the players voted in favour of this measure after rejecting the USL's CBA proposal last week.

Since then, new rounds of talks have taken place, but with no agreement in place before the first kick of the new season, players decided to make a stand and send a clear message to the league that they are ready to take action.

USL players to strike next week?

The game between Lexington and Louisville began with a 60-second delay before proceeding normally for the remaining 89 minutes of regular time. The visitors from Louisville ran out 2-1 victors.

It was the sole fixture on Friday, but more protests are planned in the other games of Matchday 1. Six matches will take place on Saturday, before the opening weekend concludes on Sunday when expansion side Brooklyn FC host Indy Eleven.

According to an unnamed USL player (via Benno Nagel), it is likely that the USLPA will formally call a strike for Matchday 2 next weekend if no agreement with the league is reached during the week. Whether this would already influence the scheduled midweek game between Birmingham Legion and Hartford Athletic is unclear.

"Immediately after kickoff tonight in the season-opening USL Championship match between Lexington SC and Louisville City FC, players stood together for 60 seconds in a coordinated display of unity," the USLPA wrote in a statement.

"Yesterday, The Guardian reported that USL headquarters circulated an internal letter to players, warning them about the risks of striking - a move they say was intended to scare them from taking collective action. Within 48 hours, players responded on the field.

"For years, players in this league have absorbed instability while the business expanded. That era is over. This unity action will continue across Championship matches this weekend.

"If there's no progress at the negotiation table, players will evaluate next steps. Players built this league. Professional standards must follow."

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store