The USL smashed its single-week attendance record on Sunday night, with a total of 74,627 fans attending USL games over the past seven days as fans flocked to be part of the action in the fastest-growing soccer league in the world. The cumulative attendance was more than 9,000 fans greater than the previous number, set in Week 24 of the 2015 USL season.

Led by FC Cincinnati’s USL single-game record attendance of 23,375 on Saturday night, one of six sellout crowds across the week’s action, the USL’s fans provided a brilliant backdrop to some outstanding action on the field across the United States and Canada.

“I couldn’t be happier for each and every one of our 29 teams,” said Jake Edwards, President of the USL. “The effort put forth by everyone in the League is paying off with our teams averaging a better than 20% attendance increase from the same point last season. Our goal was to build a national professional soccer league with strong local ownership and a schedule based on regional rivalries. Soccer fans across the country have responded.”

With the exception of the Charleston Battery’s sellout crowd of 5,481 at MUSC Health Stadium, each of the remaining five sellouts came at clubs which have joined the league in the past three seasons. That fact serves as testament to the USL’s commitment to strong local ownership, outstanding stadium plans and local passion for the sport of soccer that have been the three pillars required by the USL when considering expansion markets.

Each of the league’s expansion clubs since the start of the 2014 season have brought a heightened level of professionalism and competitiveness to the league, with one of the most recent additions in FC Cincinnati a shining example. The club’s remarkable success at the box office has seen it eclipse even the highest expectations the club had when it was unveiled last year, with an average attendance of 17,462 fans through its first four home games at the newly-renovated Nippert Stadium. The club's progress has delighted of all those associated with the team.