The 2024 Gotham FC schedule release is finally here

-Gotham FC announced the 2024 NWSL schedule

-Here are some vital things to know about the upcoming campaign

Gotham FC
Gotham FC | Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, NJ/NY Gotham FC and the rest of the NWSL announced their 2024 season schedules. Fans were already aware of the general layout of the upcoming year. In addition, the Bats knew they are starting the campaign by playing the San Diego Wave in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Now, the teams know exactly who they will play and when.

More importantly, the supporters can now plan their schedules for which games they want to attend. For season ticket holders, they can plan out their weekends around the fixtures.

To begin, Gotham FC will play their first NWSL game away from home against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, March 24. This is a notable match since the Bats beat them to book their place in the NWSL Championship game.

Gotham FC's schedule is finally here

The first home fixture will take place on Sunday, April 14. Gotham FC will welcome the Kansas City Current to open the season at Red Bull Arena. The real question is whether the USWNT stars will increase attendance. As loyal as the fans are, they only averaged over 6,000 per match in 2023.

On the flip side, Gotham FC will play their final home game on Sunday, October 20 against the Orlando Pride. The final weekend of the regular season will begin on Friday, November 11, and the NJ/NY side will travel west to face the Utah Royals on that very day.

Of course, fan will be intrigued to know when Gotham will have the first rematch with OL Reign, or as they are now called, Seattle Reign FC. The two battled it out during the NWSL finals, so Seattle will likely seek revenge when they first play against the Bats on Sunday, June 30. The first rematch will take place in New Jersey. This will be one home game that is bound to bring a mass of supporters.

The NWSL Playoffs will occur from November 9 through November 23. Therefore, if the Bats go all the way to the Championship, then their season will conclude right before Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, the schedule release revealed where everyone can watch the games. All matches will occur on CBS, the CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ion, the NWSL streaming service NSWL+, and Prime Video. In other words, compared to Major League Soccer, more games will be accessible to the growing supporters. Even better, NSWL+ will be a free streaming service to watch fixtures.

With two extra matches this year, the Bats will play 26 games in the regular season. In addition, the league will pause during the Olympics for a soon-to-be-determined tournament. It is unknown how many total fixtures the team will play, but it is expected to be equal to or more than the number from 2023.

The schedule release means NJ/NY Gotham FC will begin their campaign to become back-to-back NWSL Champions. Last season, their Cinderella story was an inspiration. In 2024, the Bats will strive to become the best team in the NWSL.