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Lexington Sporting Club’s 2026 USL Championship Schedule Unveiled

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TAMPA, Fla. — Lexington Sporting Club’s 2026 USL Championship schedule is officially locked in with 34 matches to be played from March 6 to Oct. 24, 17 of which will be played at Lexington SC Stadium. LSC is scheduled to play 30 league matches and four Prinx Tires USL Cup contests. 

Kickoff times for all matches will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The club opens its season at home vs. Louisville City FC in the Commonwealth Cup, presented by Republic Bank. The Kentucky rivalry match originally slated for Saturday, March 7, has been rescheduled to Friday, March 6. It will be the only USL Championship match that evening. 

Lexington will play the two USL Championship newcomers in 2026, Brooklyn FC (H — March 25) and Sporting Club Jacksonville (A — Sept. 5). 

Fans will watch LSC take on every Western Conference side twice. The only exceptions are Las Vegas Lights FC and Monterey Bay FC, which LSC will play three times in league play. 

Eastern Conference opponents in the upcoming year include LouCity (H — March 6, A — July 11*), Rhode Island FC (H — April 11), Indy Eleven (A — May 23, H — June 20*), Detroit City FC (A — June 6*), Tampa Bay Rowdies (A — July 4) and the aforementioned Brooklyn FC (H — March 25) and Sporting JAX (A — Sept. 5). 

Lexington will begin the season with three consecutive matches at home, and its longest road trip spans three matches from late May to early June. 

Fans can secure tickets to all 17 home matches in 2026, plus the LSC women’s six remaining home matches, with an LSC ONE Membership. LSC ONE serves as a season ticket to all men’s and women’s matches during the year, starting at just $21 per month. 

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*Denotes 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup match

Lexington Sporting Club’s Group Stage Opponents in 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup Revealed

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TAMPA, Fla. — The United Soccer League today unveiled Lexington Sporting Club’s four initial group stage matches in the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup. 

  • Saturday, April 25 — vs. Forward Madison FC 
  • Saturday, June 6 — at Detroit City FC 
  • Saturday, June 20 — vs. Indy Eleven 
  • Saturday, July 11 — at Louisville City FC 

Lexington SC was placed in Group 4 alongside each of its opponents, in addition to Fort Wayne FC and Union Omaha, which it will not compete against in the group stage. 

The 2026 edition of the Prinx Tires USL Cup marks the third year of the tournament and the second uniting the USL’s top two leagues for domestic competition. 

How It Works 

Each group consists of six clubs from the USL Championship and League One, except Group 7, which consists of seven clubs. 

The seven group winners will advance to the knockout round. Additionally, one second-place club will advance, determined by the most points in group play. Goals scored serves as the first tiebreaker. 

The quarterfinals will be held Wednesday, Aug. 13, followed by the semifinals on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The final will take place the weekend of Oct. 2-4, 2026. 

2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup Groups 

Group 1 

Athletic Club Boise 
Las Vegas Lights FC 
Monterey Bay FC 
Oakland Roots SC 
Sacramento Republic FC 
Spokane Velocity FC 

Group 2 

AV ALTA FC 
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 
El Paso Locomotive FC 
New Mexico United 
Orange County SC 
Phoenix Rising FC 

Group 3 

Birmingham Legion FC 
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 
Corpus Christi FC 
One Knoxville SC 
San Antonio FC 
FC Tulsa 

Group 4 

Detroit City FC 
Fort Wayne FC 
Forward Madison FC 
Indy Eleven 
Lexington SC 
Louisville City FC 
Union Omaha 

Group 5 

Brooklyn FC 
Hartford Athletic 
New York Cosmos 
Portland Hearts of Pine 
Rhode Island FC 
Westchester SC 

Group 6 

Charleston Battery 
Charlotte Independence 
Greenville Triumph SC 
Loudoun United FC 
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 
Richmond Kickers 

Group 7 

Miami FC 
FC Naples 
Sarasota Paradise 
South Georgia Tormenta FC 
Sporting Club Jacksonville 
Tampa Bay Rowdies

Lexington Sporting Club Signs University of Kentucky and USL League Two Standout Marqes Muir to Pro Deal

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Photo: Aran Steele, courtesy of UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Sporting Club has inked defender Marqes Muir, a standout for the University of Kentucky and LSC’s own USL League Two team, to a multi-year contract with its USL Championship side. 

The deal is pending league and federation approval. 

Muir started all 12 of his appearances for Lexington’s USL League Two side in 2025, a pre-professional league serving as a pipeline to professional soccer for pre-pro and college players. He totaled 1,080 minutes. 

With the signing, Muir becomes Lexington’s first USL League Two player to ink a professional deal with its USL Championship team in club history. 

“I’m really excited to sign with Lexington Sporting Club,” said Muir. “I’m looking forward to playing with this group and winning some trophies next season.” 

A junior at the University of Kentucky, Muir also shined at the collegiate level. In three seasons with the Wildcats, the London native amassed 53 appearances with three assists and one goal. 

He served as captain for the Cats in 2024 and 2025, and received All-Sun Belt Conference Team honors both years — he was named to the Second team in 2024 and the First Team in 2025.

Prior to his NCAA career, Muir spent five seasons in Tottenham Hotspur’s youth system. He made 73 appearances for the Premier League side’s U18 team across the U18 Premier League, Premier League 2, FA Youth Cup, EFL Trophy and UEFA Youth League competitions. 

Muir joins Kendall Burks, Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Arturo Ordóñez and Xavier Zengue as defenders signed to Lexington Sporting Club’s 2026 roster.

2026 USL Championship Roster    

Goalkeepers: Brooks Thompson, Logan Ketterer     

Defenders: Kendall Burks, Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Marqes Muir, Arturo Ordóñez, Xavier Zengue     

Midfielders: Michael Adedokun, Latif Blessing, Luís Felipe, Blaine Ferri, Nick Firmino, Alfredo Midence   

Forwards: Marcus Epps, Braudílio Rodrigues, Malik Henry-Scott, Milo Yosef 

Kendall Burks Returns to Lexington Sporting Club in 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A crucial component of the Lexington SC backline is back in 2026. Center-back Kendall Burks returns for the second season of a multi-year deal. 

Burks appeared 25 times for Lexington in 2025 with 24 starts, logging over 2,100 minutes for the club. 

Despite missing a handful of matches down the stretch due to injury, Burks still led the Greens in clearances (124) and blocks (20). He also finished third in duels won (106), winning nearly 60% of his duels on the season. 

“I’m excited to get back to work with the guys,” said Burks. “I’m pumped to play in front of the fans in 2026. LEXGO.” 

Before signing with Lexington, Burks spent the 2024 season with San Antonio FC. He led the Texas side in clearances (176), interceptions (65) and duels won (189) while finishing third in blocks (29) and fifth in tackles (27). 

The 26-year-old also made 17 appearances for Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire from 2022-23 across all competitions and 13 appearances for its MLS NEXT Pro side. 

Burks joins Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Arturo Ordóñez and Xavier Zengue as defenders signed to LSC’s 2026 roster. 

2026 USL Championship Roster   

Goalkeepers: Brooks Thompson, Logan Ketterer    

Defenders: Kendall Burks, Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Arturo Ordóñez, Xavier Zengue    

Midfielders: Michael Adedokun, Latif Blessing, Luís Felipe, Blaine Ferri, Nick Firmino, Alfredo Midence  

Forwards: Marcus Epps, Braudílio Rodrigues, Malik Henry-Scott, Milo Yosef

Lexington Sporting Club to Host Louisville City FC in 2026 USL Championship Home Opener

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Sporting Club will host in-state rivals Louisville City FC in the Commonwealth Cup, presented by Republic Bank, for its 2026 USL Championship home opener March 7, 2026. 

The two sides matched up twice during Lexington SC’s inaugural USL-C season in 2025, once in Lexington and once in Louisville. The match at Lexington SC Stadium drew more than 8,000 fans, LSC’s largest crowd of the season. 

The contest will mark the debut of Masaki Hemmi as head coach of the Lexington SC men after being named the new gaffer on Dec. 9. 

Adding to the intrigue is the immediate reunion of Lexington’s newly signed center-back Arturo Ordóñez with his former club. Ordóñez spent the last two seasons with LouCity, earning USL Championship All-League First Team honors with the club in 2024. 

The kickoff time for Lexington SC’s home opener, its full USL Championship schedule and group stage opponents for the 2026 USL Cup will be announced in the near future.

Fans can secure their tickets to the match by joining LSC ONE, Lexington SC’s season ticket to both men’s and women’s matches for one low price.

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Lexington SC Lands Midfielder Luís Felipe on Multi-Year Deal

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Sporting Club bolstered its midfield Wednesday with the signing of Luís Felipe to a multi-year deal, pending league and federation approval. 

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Lexington SC and am ready to get to work,” said Felipe. “This was a no-brainer for me. I’m hungry to win a Championship and bring a trophy home.” 

The central midfielder spent the last five seasons with Sacramento Republic FC, making 168 appearances for the club and amassing over 12,500 minutes across all competitions. 

Felipe finished as Sacramento’s leader in tackles three different years, ranked first in duels twice and topped its interceptions chart once. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the 29-year-old has shown prowess for scoring as well. Felipe scored 19 times for the Republic and registered nine assists. 

Before his time in the Indomitable City, Felipe initially signed with Reno 1868 FC in 2017, the USL Championship side affiliated with MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes. He appeared 26 times for Reno that season, scoring five goals and adding three assists. 

His dazzling season earned him an MLS contract from San Jose in 2018. Felipe went on to make 22 MLS appearances for San Jose from 2018-20, a stretch broken up by one loan spell back to Reno. 

Felipe also received a call-up to the United States U-20 team in 2014 under head coach Tab Ramos. 

Felipe joins Michael Adedokun, Latif Blessing, Blaine Ferri, Nick Firmino and Alfredo Midence as midfielders signed to Lexington’s 2026 USL Championship roster. 

2026 USL Championship Roster  

Goalkeepers: Brooks Thompson, Logan Ketterer   

Defenders: Kendall Burks, Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Arturo Ordóñez, Xavier Zengue   

Midfielders: Michael Adedokun, Latif Blessing, Luís Felipe, Blaine Ferri, Nick Firmino, Alfredo Midence 

Forwards: Marcus Epps, Braudílio Rodrigues, Malik Henry-Scott, Milo Yosef

Masaki Hemmi Named Men’s Head Coach, Kosuke Kimura Named Women’s Head Coach for Lexington Sporting Club

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Sporting Club on Tuesday appointed Masaki “Mac” Hemmi as head coach of its USL Championship squad. Correspondingly, women’s assistant coach Kosuke Kimura has been named head coach of Lexington’s Gainbridge Super League squad. 

Hemmi served as head coach for Lexington SC’s Gainbridge Super League team since the start of the 2025/26 season. In 12 matches, Hemmi has led the LSC women to an undefeated 5W-0L-7D record and into first place in the league standings. 

Hemmi reigns as the Gainbridge Super League Coach of the Month after shattering the league’s previous record for longest unbeaten streak, and the Gals in Green currently sport a +15 goal differential. 

“I’m excited to take on a new challenge within the club to help Lexington Sporting Club become a premier club in North America,” said Hemmi. “We were able to completely transform the women’s team in six months, and as a coach, I’m honored that Bill Shively, Stephen Dawahare and the rest of the leadership team believe in me to help the men achieve that same level of excellence, and help the club take the next step forward. The women are in a tremendous position to sustain their success, and I’m excited for Kosuke and Taylor Leach to lead them — they’re in great hands. I’m thankful to still be around that staff and group of players.” 

Prior to joining Lexington earlier this year, Hemmi served as an assistant and interim head coach for the NWSL’s Chicago Stars from 2024-25. 

His coaching career also includes a stint with the USL Championship’s New Mexico United as its first assistant, director of player personnel and later interim head coach in 2023. He also served as associate head coach for INAC Kobe of Japan’s WE League. 

With Hemmi’s transition to the men’s side, Kosuke Kimura has been named the Gainbridge Super League squad’s head coach. 

Kimura has played a vital role in the women’s first-half success, helping lead training sessions alongside Hemmi and helping develop individual development plans for each player. 

Kimura’s foray into coaching began as an assistant with MLS’ Nashville SC, a club he played for during its early days in the USL Championship. He served as an assistant in Music City from 2022-24 before joining Hemmi’s staff in Lexington. 

As a player, Kimura spent eight years in MLS with the Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers and New York Red Bulls. He became the first Japanese-born player in the history of Major League Soccer, eventually winning an MLS title in 2010 with the Rapids and the 2013 MLS Supporters’ Shield with Red Bulls. 

In addition to his time in MLS, Kimura’s playing career included stints with the USL Championship’s FC Tulsa and Nashville SC. 

“I want to thank ownership for this opportunity, and thank Mac for everything he’s given to this group,” said Kimura. “Mac and I approach coaching the same way — we care about the person first, then the player. We want to strengthen our identities and be authentic in ourselves and our style of play. We have the people in the building we need to win, and I’m excited to lead this team and play soccer the way we believe will improve the team and us as individuals. We need to appreciate what we have every day, but at the same time, we need to earn it every day. The goal is a Players’ Shield, then to host a playoff game. We also want to get our community more involved and continue to align what we do in our academy team with the pro team to inspire the next generation of soccer players in Lexington.” 

The coaching transitions will go into effect during the Gainbridge Super League’s winter break.

Lexington Sporting Club Re-Signs Marcus Epps to New Multi-Year Deal

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A key contributor from Lexington SC in 2025 is back on a new contract in 2026. Forward Marcus Epps has inked a new multi-year deal with LSC ahead of the upcoming season, pending league and federation approval. 

The Lexington captain from a year ago was a motor for the club’s offense. Epps finished with six goals across all competitions, and his four assists were tied for the second-most on the squad. 

Primarily stationed on the left wing, Epps also ranked third in chances created (28) and finished in the top four in shots (24), shots on target (12), appearances (29) and minutes (2,296). 

“I’m very excited to be returning to Lexington SC,” said Epps. “I truly believe this club can and will bring something special to this city, and I’m happy to be a part of that mission. I can’t wait to get back on the field and give my all to produce success and exciting soccer for our amazing fans and city.” 

Epps’ professional career began in 2017 when he was selected 25th overall in the MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union. He went on to make 35 MLS appearances between the Union (2017–18) and New York Red Bulls (2019), scoring three goals across his time in the league. 

Now entering his 10th season in the USL Championship, the Mississippi native has amassed 39 goals and 28 league assists in more than 17,000 minutes played. 

When factoring in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Jägermeister Cup and USL-C playoff appearances, four additional goals further boost Epps’ career tally. 

Epps joins Braudílio Rodrigues, Malik Henry-Scott and Milo Yosef as forwards currently signed to Lexington SC’s 2026 USL Championship roster. 

2026 USL Championship Roster 

Goalkeepers: Brooks Thompson, Logan Ketterer  

Defenders: Kendall Burks, Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Arturo Ordóñez, Xavier Zengue  

Midfielders: Michael Adedokun, Latif Blessing, Blaine Ferri, Nick Firmino, Alfredo Midence

Forwards: Marcus Epps, Braudílio Rodrigues, Malik Henry-Scott, Milo Yosef

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