This article features a listing of the top-level professional minor league sports teams based in the United States that are typically the second tier of professional sports under the major professional leagues. The minor leagues listed below also include teams outside the United States, with seven in Canada (one in the NBA G League and six in the American Hockey League) and one in Mexico (NBA G League).
Triple-A minor league baseball has two leagues, the International League and Pacific Coast League, both affiliated with Major League Baseball. Basketball and ice hockey each have one affiliated minor league, the NBA G League and American Hockey League, respectively. The USL Championship (USLC) is a Division II league below Major League Soccer as designated by the United States Soccer Federation that governs the various soccer leagues, although some MLS teams are affiliated with clubs from outside the second tier for development purposes. However, most MLS clubs now field their reserve sides in MLS Next Pro, a third-level league that launched in 2022, and the only MLS club that has not announced plans to field a Next Pro side in 2023 is CF Montréal. There are no affiliated minor leagues for American or Canadian football as most of its recruiting is done through college football, and minor football leagues do not historically have long lifespans before folding,. Currently there is one existing high level spring league: the United Football League, formed from the merger of the USFL and the XFL.
Teams that will join a league for a future season are indicated in italics.
Rank[a] | Metropolitan area | Triple-A Baseball | NBA G League | American Hockey League | USL Championship | United Football League |
1 | New York | | Long Island Nets Westchester Knicks | | New York Red Bulls II[b] Queensboro FC | |
2 | Los Angeles | | South Bay Lakers | | LA Galaxy II[b] Orange County SC | |
3 | Chicago | | Windy City Bulls | Chicago Wolves | | |
4 | Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas | | Texas Legends | | Fort Worth | Arlington Renegades |
5 | Houston, Texas | Sugar Land Space Cowboys (PCL) | | | | Houston Roughnecks |
6 | Washington, D.C. | | Capital City Go-Go | | Loudoun United FC[b] | DC Defenders |
7 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | | Delaware Blue Coats | | | |
8 | Miami, Florida | | | | Miami FC | |
9 | Atlanta, Georgia | Gwinnett Stripers (IL) | College Park Skyhawks | | Atlanta United 2[b] | |
11 | Phoenix, Arizona | | | | Phoenix Rising FC | |
12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | | | | Oakland Roots SC | |
13 | Inland Empire | | Ontario Clippers | Ontario Reign Coachella Valley Firebirds | | |
14 | Detroit, Michigan | | Motor City Cruise | | Detroit City FC | Michigan Panthers |
15 | Seattle, Washington | Tacoma Rainiers (PCL) | | | | |
16 | Minneapolis–Saint Paul | St. Paul Saints (IL) | | | | |
17 | San Diego, California | | | San Diego Gulls | San Diego Loyal SC | |
18 | Tampa Bay, Florida | | | | Tampa Bay Rowdies | |
21 | St. Louis, Missouri | | | | | St. Louis BattleHawks |
22 | Orlando, Florida | | Osceola Magic | | | |
23 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Charlotte Knights (IL) | | Charlotte Checkers | | |
24 | San Antonio, Texas | | | | San Antonio FC | San Antonio Brahmas |
25 | Portland, Oregon | | Rip City Remix | | | |
26 | Sacramento, California | Sacramento River Cats (PCL) | | | Sacramento Republic FC[c] | |
27 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | | | | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | |
28 | Austin, Texas | Round Rock Express (PCL) | Austin Spurs | Texas Stars | | |
29 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Las Vegas Aviators (PCL) | NBA G League Ignite | Henderson Silver Knights | Las Vegas Lights FC | |
32 | Columbus, Ohio | Columbus Clippers (IL) | | | | |
33 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Indianapolis Indians (IL) | Fort Wayne Mad Ants | | Indy Eleven | |
34 | Cleveland, Ohio | | Cleveland Charge | Cleveland Monsters | | |
35 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California | | | San Jose Barracuda | | |
36 | Nashville, Tennessee | Nashville Sounds (IL) | | | | |
37 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, Virginia | Norfolk Tides (IL) | | | | |
38 | Providence, Rhode Island | | | Providence Bruins | Rhode Island FC | |
39 | Jacksonville, Florida | Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (IL) | | | | |
40 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | | | Milwaukee Admirals | | |
41 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City Dodgers (PCL) | Oklahoma City Blue | | OKC Energy FC | |
42 | Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina | Durham Bulls (IL) | | | | |
43 | Memphis, Tennessee | Memphis Redbirds (IL) | Memphis Hustle | | Memphis 901 FC | Memphis Showboats |
46 | New Orleans, Louisiana | | | | | |
45 | Louisville, Kentucky | Louisville Bats (IL) | | | Louisville City FC | |
47 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Salt Lake Bees (PCL) | Salt Lake City Stars | | | |
48 | Hartford, Connecticut | | | Hartford Wolf Pack | Hartford Athletic | |
49 | Buffalo, New York | Buffalo Bisons (IL) | | | | |
50 | Birmingham, Alabama | | Birmingham Squadron | | Birmingham Legion FC | Birmingham Stallions |
51 | Rochester, New York | Rochester Red Wings (IL) | | Rochester Americans | | |
52 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | | Grand Rapids Gold | Grand Rapids Griffins | | |
53 | Tucson, Arizona | | | Tucson Roadrunners | | |
55 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | | | | FC Tulsa | |
57 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Worcester Red Sox (IL) | | | | |
58 | Omaha, Nebraska | Omaha Storm Chasers (IL) | | | | |
59 | Bridgeport, Connecticut | | | Bridgeport Islanders | | |
61 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Albuquerque Isotopes (PCL) | | | New Mexico United | |
62 | Bakersfield, California | | | Bakersfield Condors | | |
65 | McAllen, Texas | | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | | Rio Grande Valley FC Toros | |
67 | El Paso, Texas | El Paso Chihuahuas (PCL) | | | El Paso Locomotive FC | |
69 | Lehigh Valley | Lehigh Valley IronPigs (IL) | | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | | |
74 | Charleston, South Carolina | | | | Charleston Battery | |
75 | Stockton–Lodi, California | | Stockton Kings | | | |
76 | Greensboro, North Carolina | | Greensboro Swarm | | | |
79 | Colorado Springs | | | | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | |
82 | Des Moines, Iowa | Iowa Cubs (IL) | Iowa Wolves | Iowa Wild | USL Pro Iowa | |
84 | Springfield, Massachusetts | | | Springfield Thunderbirds | | |
91 | Syracuse, New York | Syracuse Mets (IL) | | Syracuse Crunch | | |
94 | Toledo, Ohio | Toledo Mud Hens (IL) | | | | |
98 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | | | Hershey Bears | | |
100 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL) | | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | | |
104 | Portland, Maine | | Maine Celtics | | | |
112 | Reno, Nevada | Reno Aces (PCL) | | | | |
124 | Salinas, California | | | | Monterey Bay FC | |
151 | Fort Collins–Loveland, Colorado | | | Colorado Eagles | | |
154 | Rockford, Illinois | | | Rockford IceHogs | | |
169 | Utica, New York | | | Utica Comets | | |
177 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | | Sioux Falls Skyforce | | | |
182 | Santa Cruz, California | | Santa Cruz Warriors | | | |
250 | Oshkosh, Wisconsin | | Wisconsin Herd | | | |
- ^ As of 2020
- ^ a b c d This team will move to the third-level MLS Next Pro in 2023.
- ^ After the 2022 season, Sacramento Republic FC was to cease minor-league operations with the Sacramento Republic FC name to be transferred to a Major League Soccer team, however, the MLS team has been indefinitely postponed.
See also[edit]