The Charleston Battery confirmed the club’s 2026 preseason schedule on Wednesday. The slate of games includes scrimmages against MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, USL and college sides.
Charleston’s preseason preparations are already underway, with camp commencing on January 16 at Patriots Point.
The Black and Yellow will travel to the Queen City for their preseason opener against MLS side Charlotte FC on January 23.
Five of the Battery’s six remaining preseason games will be at Patriots Point, with three open to the public: February 7 vs. Crown Legacy FC; February 15 vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC; February 27 vs. College of Charleston.
Tickets for the games are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club’s exclusive digital ticketing provider. Season Members will be able to claim tickets to the three games for free via their Member portal on SeatGeek as a perk of their Membership.
“We have a lot of transitions this year with personnel on and off the field, so these matches will be key in identifying who we are as a team,” said Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “Our game idea and standards will not change, but this preseason slate will challenge us and prepare us for the real deal in March.
“We left the 2025 season on a sour note, and these players are ready to get back after it. We will be very focused on our improvement processes each day, and we’re simply eager to get back to Patriots Point and perform in front of the best supporters.”
Charleston will also host Carolina Core FC on January 31 and Greenville Triumph SC on February 11 for closed-door contests. The Battery’s second and final away trip of the preseason will be on February 21 against Sporting Club Jacksonville, one of the two new USL Championship expansion clubs.
The friendly with Jacksonville has an interesting twist since it will be the Florida club’s first-ever contest, and the Battery’s first game in their inaugural 1993 season was against the Jacksonville Arsenal for the Port City Cup on April 3 that year.
After the preseason concludes, the Battery will kick off the 2026 season at home on Sat., March 7, against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, at 6 p.m. ET. Tickets for the home opener are also on sale now via SeatGeek.com.
