TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues announced the details for the 2009 USL Premier Development League season. Among the details finalized recently at the 2008 Annual General Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, FL were the alignment, schedule structure and playoff details for the 2009 competition.

The PDL will consist of 68 teams in 2009, playing in eight divisions that comprise the four conferences.

Expansion teams that have been formally announced to date are the Real Colorado Foxes, Rochester Thunder, Forest City London, Portland Timbers U23, Victoria Highlanders, Rio Grande Valley and Midland (TX). Three additional expansion teams are yet to be officially announced.

The league will also play a 16-game season for the sixth straight campaign with games based primarily upon their divisional alignment. The season will open May 1 and conclude July 19.

The playoffs will begin with the return of the Divisional Championship playoffs (July 24-26) for the first time since 1998 with each division seeing three teams advance to the postseason. The second seed will face the third seed in the First Round with the winner advancing to face the top seed from the regular season in the championship. The eight division champions will advance to the PDL Elite Eight Weekend (July 31-August 2), where PDL Quarterfinals and Semifinals will be held. The divisional winners from Eastern and Central Conference will be grouped in one half of the bracket in one location while the Southern and Western winners comprise the other half at another locale. The PDL Quarterfinals will pit the top seed versus the fourth seed in the bracket, and two versus three. The winners of the PDL Semifinals will square off in the PDL Championship Saturday, August 8 on Fox Soccer Channel. Divisional playoff hosts are based on overall seeding, pending availability, with all other playoff site locations determined by bid.

2009 PDL Playoff Bracket [+]

2009 Premier Development League Alignment

Central Conference
Great Lakes Division: Chicago Fire, Cincinnati Kings, Cleveland Internationals, Forest City London, Fort Wayne Fever, Indiana Invaders, Kalamazoo Outrage, Michigan Bucks, Toronto Lynx
Heartland Division: Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Real Colorado Foxes, Rochester Thunder, Springfield Demize, St Louis Lions, Thunder Bay Chill

Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division: Carolina Dynamo, Cary Clarets, Fredericksburg Gunners, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Northern Virginia Royals, Reading Rage, Virginia Legacy, West Virginia Chaos
Northeast Division: Brooklyn Knights, Long Island Rough Riders, New Hampshire Phantoms, New Jersey Rangers, Newark Ironbound Express, Ocean City Barons, Ottawa Fury, Rhode Island Stingrays, Westchester Flames

Southern Conference
Mid South Division: Austin Aztex, DFW Tornados, El Paso Patriots, Houston Leones, Laredo Heat, Rio Grande Valley Bravos, Midland (TBA)
Southeast Division: Atlanta, Baton Rouge Capitals, Bradenton Academics, Central Florida Kraze, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros, New Orleans Shell Shockers, Panama City Pirates

Western Conference
Northwest Division: Abbotsford Mariners, Cascade Surge, Kitsap (TBA), Portland Timbers U23, Seattle (TBA), Spokane Spiders, Tacoma Tide, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, Victoria Highlanders, Yakima Reds
Southwest Division: Bakersfield Brigade, BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Lancaster Rattlers, Los Angeles Storm, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, San Fernando Valley Quakes, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion