Real Monarchs To Join MLS Next Pro Ahead of 2022 Season

SALT LAKE CITY – Real Monarchs will join MLS Next Pro in 2022 ending a seven-year partnership with the USL Championship.

“MLS NEXT Pro provides us the opportunity to continue developing our RSL Academy players and those players signed to MLS contracts who are not seeing minutes with the first team, to provide them with game experience and minutes at the professional level,” said Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations Rob Zarkos. “This has been the player development model we have executed for the past seven years that has allowed us to develop our homegrown athletes into first team players such as Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera and David Ochoa, among several others.”

The Monarchs will compete in the MLS Next Pro Western Conference alongside Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Portland, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis and Vancouver.

NEWS: @RealMonarchs to compete in @MLS' new professional league, @MLSNEXTPRO.

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) December 6, 2021

The 21-team league is set to begin competition in March of 2022, with playoffs scheduled to take place in September. In 2023, the league will add seven additional teams: Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, D.C. United, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Nashville SC and New York Red Bulls.

Head Coach Jamison Olave will continue to lead Real Monarchs as it transitions into this new league. Olave has been at the helm since midseason 2018, later leading the team to victory at the 2019 USL Championship final. The former RSL icon will enter into next season with three returning players, including Yekeson Subah, Timi Sobowale and Charlie Wehan.