Expectations

KitSZN: Expectations for 2026

The team talks expectations for each league, what we've noticed in 2025 and ask if those trends will continue and more

KitSZN

14 Feb 2026 — 12 min read

The team talks expectations for each league, what we've noticed in 2025 and ask if those trends will continue and more

2026 should be an exciting time for KitSZN and kit collectors. With more teams across the USL (all levels), the quality of deigns are increasing. We asked all three co-hosts their thoughts.

Here are our expectations for 2026:

USL-Championship

High Expectations:
- Fox: Oakland has to be on this list. With perfect 5s the last two seasons it's an obvious choice. I'm also hoping El Paso keeps up the momentum with their amazing work with Hummel.
- Brett: Have to keep an eye out on Indy Eleven and Las Vegas. Indy is entering year three with Under Armour and have gotten more creative each year. Las Vegas continues to shine on the field with their kit game and that will continue based off of 2025.
- Group: Birmingham Legion, Sacramento Republic, and San Antonio FC. Birmingham has been fun recent years since move to Hummel - hope that continues. Sacramento Republic always looks good and San Antonio is with Charly - enough said.
Can Charly recover from a mixed 2025?
- Fox: It's hard for me to say rather or not Charley can recover from last season because I don't think the manufacturer has as much say as we'd like to think. Some teams will have a graphic designer come in and then they'll send it to a the manufacturer and then hope for the best. Charly, to me, can stand in their own two feet with the material they sale. Their kits always are worth the price, just hopefully the teams let them cook.
- Brett: I think they can. Look at Hummel a few years back when they expanded across the USL - we saw this exact same thing. What has Hummel done since then? Become the go to for creative and fun kits in the USL. Charly is doing the exact same thing. I am not worried.

Fox: No. There will be more teams dropping more than 2 kits this year. It's a strong way for teams to make money and spread their brand. It's how people from across the world know who Forward Madison is. Props to MLS who has done the one kit a year idea from day one - want more teams in USL to follow suit.
Brett: Yes this will. More and more clubs are doing this. Look at Rhode Island, they only released a Third Kit in 2025. Did not even touch the Home or Away Kits. This will continue and allow teams to be better at the 1 - 2 kits released a season.
Austin: I think we'll continue to see more clubs carryover a kit into the following year. They're starting to see that worthwhile, the merch sales don't dip all that drastically but the time and energy they save on skipping a whole design process and marketing launch is huge. The environmental benefit is a plus, but realistically that's not going to be a primary driver for most organizations – it's just a nice cherry on top to be able to brand it as a "green" decision.

Now that Monterrey Bay took a step forward with Charly in 25 - can they build off of that in 26?
- Fox: Monterey Bay has an amazing badge, cool landscape around them and a kit provider who can do amazing things. I think they can keep pushing forward, they just need someone from either Charly or a kit designer to come visit and suggest a few ideas.
- Brett: Yes. They have to after what they said about Puma before switch over to Charly.

More clubs released 1-2 kits in 25 - will that continue?

USL-League One

Fox: Obviously Forward Madison. With their multiple hits from last year I'm always excited to see what they come out with. I'm also excited to see what AV Alta does this year. They had some interesting kits last year and an absolute banger so hopefully they can keep that going .
Brett: Union Omaha. They continue to push the envelope alongside Madison. 2025 wasn’t their year, but I want them to continue to push the league forward creatively.
Austin: Portland has shown that simple and classy can outperform bold and modern when executed well. (I can't help but think that the Cosmos might have been influenced by this!) Other clubs will follow suit, but will they be able to nail it in a similar fashion? It's easy to get it wrong as we've seen with Cosmos, get the balance of colors ever-so-slightly wrong and it just feels off, or worse, gets called boring.

Do we expect the expansion sides to play more subtle route like Westchester or Portland? Or bold like Texoma and Madison?
- Fox: Subtle. Just look at the Cosmos Home Kit.
- Brett: Subtle Route. Look at what Naples, Westchester, Cosmos, Sarasota and AC Boise have released - they are all on the some simple/subtle side of things. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

High Expectations:

League One kinda slacked off and got saved by 3rd kits - do we expect a better showing in 26? Does Omaha rebound back?
- Fox: In our eyes, I believe every team gets saved by third kits. That's where the fun can be had. I hope to see more interesting home and away kits this year, especially with all the new teams with strong brands already. Example - Greenville Triumph.
- Brett: Omaha will rebound (they better) and I think as the best league in the USL (kit-wise), they will recover. 3rd kits by nature of the fun ones - so we obviously enjoy those the most. Just expect the traditional Home and Away kits to step up their game in 2026.
Cosmos are back - what should we expect from them?
- Fox: I expect nostalgia brand trying to milk every dollar they can out of that Cosmo's logo.
- Brett: Nostalgia and class. The Cosmos as a brand has always been the “I am the Big Man on Campus” in US Soccer. I don’t expect much design-wise as their name and history will carry their merch.
Will Fort Wayne’s rebrand pay off kit-wise? Do they basically have a clean slate here?
- Fox: I think fort Wayne does have a new fresh start. It almost feels like they're a brand new team with some history that they can stand on. Best of both worlds. I like the color scheme and badge so hopefully we get something cool.
- Austin: Fort Wayne will look better in my opinion, their previous branding felt off to me in terms of how their crest was composed so I think they'll be stronger overall this year. Having a clean slate helps too, as I wasn't the biggest fan of their vertical stripe.

Brett: I don’t have high hopes. If their League Two kits had any indication on how the club felt towards kits is to be taken into consideration - this will be more simple. That isn’t my style but it just feels on brand for this whole “Professional” club mindset. I have seen this checkered/flannel pattern on merch. So maybe it get’s thrown on the kit (see below).

USL-League Two

High Expectations? Minneapolis, Asheville, Ballard, Vermont to continue to produce?
- Fox: You named them all, the only teams I can easily name in league 2 are these listed and it's because of their kits. I know they have thrown down some major wins on the field as well but I expect Vermont to have amazing kits every year with Wolf running the show!
- Brett: I think so. These teams are known because of their kits - Vermont and Ballard are changing with their on field success, but people know them for their merch and kits. Outside of about a dozen clubs who push the envelope, League Two is very template heavy. Those dozen teams really need to produce.
Can we expect League Two to continue to dominate the men’s leagues kit-wise?
- Fox: It's hard for me to say they dominate the kit game mainly because we don't rate every league 2 kit. That would take all season and I would have to quit my day job. But the teams that do show out really show out thank to the freedom of lower league soccer!
- Brett: Oh yeah. League Two allows teams to be more free with their kits. Given the semi-pro setup in L2, these clubs have to make money and selling cool kits is one of those ways. So the creativity HAS to be there.
- Austin: League Two will absolutely continue to dominate!
Any club(s) we should keep an eye out for?
- Fox: I know I’m excited to see Louisville City in league 2. But that doesn’t have to do with kits lol otherwise not that I can think of. Oh Bluegoose!
- Brett: I throw out AFC Ann Arbor and SF City did well last season. We also can’t forget the arrival of a lot of NPSL clubs into the league - could bring some new players. Bigfoot FC got something brewing.

USL Super League

High Expectations?
- Fox: I'm very excited to see what Lexington does. Now that they are with Hummel. We've seen decent and interesting stuff from the men's side. Are they just going to have the same kits or have their own? I hope they're their own!
- Brett: Tampa Bay Sun. They have the colors and desire to be more creative. Look at the sun set kits and the recent Gasparilla warm-up top. No one else is trying as hard as they are.
Worst league for kits in 2025/26 - can the league recover in 26/27?
- Fox: I don't have amazing expectations from the super league teams yet. As long as the league keeps with slowing every team to have their own kit provider we should be fun in the long run.
- Brett: Yes. The USL-Championship did the same thing when we started KitSZN. Lots of templates as the clubs were getting their footing. 2026/27 will see better kits.
- Austin: The Super League has nowhere to go but up. I think they'll improve this year, but we'll still see a lot of templates (especially for third kits)
Will we see more 3rd kits as teams continue to get their footing?
- Fox: I think we're still getting out fitting so I don't expect many third kits. Have to build fan bases first then sell them kits!
- Brett: Not yet. If any do get released, it’ll be templates or warm-ups

USL- W League

High Expectations?
- Fox: Minnesota Aurora. Always class of the W!
- Brett: Sioux Falls City and Oakland Soul have my attention. Sioux Falls was fun and creative in 25 and always have been in their kit game. Oakland Soul gets the Charly treatment (more W and Super clubs need Charly), so that is always exciting to see what they do.
Have we noticed a slight decline in overall design quality from expansion sides in year 2? If so - does this trend continue?
- Fox: I would agree that most teams did stay safe and templated this last season. I do fear that the Super League has overshadowed the W League, so there might be fewer eyes on the semi-pro league. I love what teams that have teams in the men's leagues have done so far, like Pittsburgh and now with Madison. Then, of course, Aurora.
- Brett: I think so. I personally think a big problem for a lot of these W teams is playing off of the “Women First” branding for their kits. You can only put so many important women onto kits, that you don’t have a brand identity without it. I think clubs started to notice that and are just now building that brand. So this will not continue.

Now that Madison has entered the chat - what should we expect from them? More Fashion Club or the more current edition of the Flamingos?
- Fox: Fun things. Just look at those colors and details. More Fashion Club!
- Brett: I think we’ll see a nice blend. Using the traditional sash from Forward Madison + adding in the flowers for their own touch was fantastic. I expect more like this. Nods to the men’s team and Madison in general, with a little bit of their own flair.
- Austin: A clean slate will be good for Madison's women's team as Forward have gone through SO. MANY. KITS. Being able to do something brand new (or even recycle old ideas in a new way) will help them tremendously.
Any club(s) we should keep an eye out for?
- Fox: None that wasn’t already mentioned.
- Brett: Salmon Bay. Can they buck the trend of the sophomore slump for kits? I believe so.
- Austin: West Seattle Rhodies *wink

USL Kit Providers

Here is a list of all the kit providers for all 3 professional leagues:

38.5% or 20 teams use Hummel as their kit provider - making them the largest in the USL. In second we have Capelli at 21.2% or 11 teams. Now that is very interesting. Capelli has not been a league wide since 2018 (announcement here from 2018). A lot has changed since 2018. Now Capelli is the Official Uniform and On-Field Provider for the USL Super League (link), but I would argue that Capelli has made it’s biggest gains on the men’s side. Charly is the Official Uniform and On-Field Provider for USL-C, L1. Yet sit behind Capelli.

Speaking of the USL-Championship, here is their breakdown. With Hummel in 1st having 33% or 8 teams, followed by Charly with 24% or 6 teams. Charly is right there with Hummel in number of teams, but I am more impressed with the wide variety just in the Championship. There are 8 - EIGHT - different kit manufactures represented in the league. Diaza (Brooklyn), Macron (Miami) and Under Armour (Indy) only have the one team, but shows teams are willing to use them versus the official league apparel in Hummel or Charly. Adidas (Phoenix, Jax) and Puma (New Mexico, Louisville) still live on, but those numbers seem to be shrinking every year. That leaves us with Capelli who represents 3 clubs (Loudoun, Rhode Island, Colorado Springs).

As arguably the best looking league in the world, it is no surprise that Hummel’s presence is heavy. Hummel CLEALY dominates this league. Having 57.9% or 11 teams. The official apparel deal for Hummel a few years back cemented Hummel as the go to for League One sides. Even more interesting is that Charly isn’t even in this league. For the expansion sides there is a battle between Capelli and Hummel. Sarasota and AC Boise went with Hummel while the Cosmos and Fort Wayne are going with Capelli. It is up to Corpus Christi to break the tie - who previously wore Admiral kits but has yet to officially announce anything for the 2026 season.

Now the Super League is interesting. With only 9 teams, the data can appear misleading. Diaza (Brooklyn), Adidas (Jax) and Hummel (Lexington) have only one team a piece. Nike has two in Dallas and Fort Lauderdale. So that leaves us with Capelli (again official apparel partner) having 44% or 4 teams. We’ve actually seen the best looking kits from Hummel and Lexington. My theory is the club itself is already established - allowing them the freedom to have more fun. While clubs like Tampa Bay Sun, DC Power and Carolina Ascent (whose kits in 25 just didn’t hit for us) continue to build their brand. That is reflective in our rankings. But give Capelli time and I believe we will get more from them. Look at Loudoun United in the Championship as a good example.