Playoff match will kick off at 5:00 p.m. ET at Finley Stadium. Tickets are on sale now!
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (September 23, 2026) — Chattanooga FC announced today that it will host NYCFC II in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday, October 18 at 5:00 p.m. ET at Finley Stadium.
Chattanooga FC (15-6-7) recently completed an historic regular season, setting new club records in MLS NEXT Pro for points (56), final seed (2) and wins (15).
CFC was also only one of two teams in the league to record double-digit victories at home (10 wins, tied with Austin FC II).
In the MLS NEXT Pro playoff format, the top three seeds in each conference host and select their opponents from the remaining five through eight seeds (No. 8 seed being the winner of the play-in round between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds), with the No. 4 seed getting the remaining unpicked club.
The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs round-by-round format and schedule follows (17 total matches):Â
- Play-in Round: October 9-11 (one match per conference)
- No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds in each conference
- Conference Quarterfinals: October 16 – 18 (four matches per conference)
- No. 1-3 seeds in each conference will host and select their opponent from the No. 5-8 seeds (with No. 8 being the winner of the Play-in Round)
- No. 4 seed will host the remaining Club
- Conference Semifinals: October 23 – 25 (two matches per conference)
- The highest remaining seed in each conference will select and host an opponent from the two lowest seeded teams
- The two remaining Clubs will face each other, with the higher of the two seeds hosting
- Conference Finals: October 30 – November 1 (one match per conference)
- The higher remaining seed in each conference will host the other remaining Club
- MLS NEXT Pro Cup: November 6-8 (one match)
- The Club with the highest regular season points total will host the other remaining Club
MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchups and play-in round - all streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com and and OneFootball.com:
Play-in Round:
Sunday, October 11 at 5:00 p.m. ET, Venue TBD
Red Bull New York II vs. Huntsville City FC
Conference Quarterfinals:
Friday, October 16, kick-off time TBD, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground
Atlanta United 2 vs. CT United FC
Saturday, October 17 at 3:00 p.m. ET, ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
Columbus Crew 2 vs. New England Revolution II
Sunday, October 18 at 5:00 p.m. ET, Finley Stadium
Chattanooga FC vs. NYCFC II
Sunday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET, Sportsplex at Matthews
Crown Legacy vs. Play-in Round match winner
History with the Pigeons
Chattanooga FC and NYCFC II have met three times over the past three seasons, with all three matches being away from home for CFC. However, the Boys in Blue have the edge in the historic head-to-head (1W-2D-0L, 1SOW, 1SOL).
CFC drew 1-1 with NYCFC II and won the resulting shootout for the extra point 5-4 in this season's only meeting between the two teams.
In 2025, Chattanooga FC defeated the Pigeons 1-0 at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island, New York.Â
The club's first-ever away match competing in MLS NEXT Pro was a 1-1 draw against NYCFC II at Belson Stadium in Queens, New York on March 27, 2024. The Pigeons edged the shootout 4-2 that evening.
Next up
Chattanooga FC will play two behind-closed-doors matches in preparation for the playoffs. CFC will visit Nashville SC on October 2 followed by a trip to Austin FC II on October 11.
Tickets on sale now!
Tickets for Chattanooga FC's match with NYCFC II on Sunday, October 18 at 5:00 p.m. are on sale now! Get yours today!
