Conference Realigment and Tryout Dates Announced - By Taylor Peyton

After dead silent months of September, October, and November; news about the Silverbacks have finally come out. Three big pieces of news were confirmed within a span of a week. Realignment of the NPSL Southeast Conference, dates for Tryouts, and confirmation that Season Tickets will soon be on sale. 

With the withdrawal of Myrtle Beach Mutiny, Tobacco Road FC, and almost certainly Carolina Railhawks Reserves from the NPSL, the South Atlantic Conference is no more. It was announced on Sunday, December 4th, that the Silverbacks would instead be playing in the newly-realigned Southeast Conference. It will be split up into two divisions. The Silverbacks will be playing in the East Division with Asheville City, Carolina Discoveries, Georgia Revolution, and Knoxville Force. The West Division will be composed of Birmingham Hammers, Chattanooga FC, Inter Nashville FC, Memphis City, and New Orleans Jesters. There will be a total of 13 games for the Silverbacks, which is three more than they played last year. There will be a home and away game against each of the teams in our division, and one game each against the teams in the West Division that could be home or away. The Southeast playoffs will be composed of the top 3 teams from each division. On the same day that the realignment was announced, the Silverbacks confirmed via Twitter that Season Tickets would be going on sale soon. 

On Wednesday, October 7th, the Silverbacks Announced three sets of tryout dates. The first set of dates taking place on December 20th and 21st, the second being on January 3rd and 4th, the third being February 1st and 2nd, with an “Invitation Only Tryout” taking place on May 1st. All tryouts will be held from 9 am to 12 pm at Silverbacks Park. Players trying out will have to pay a fee of $50 if they register online in advance, and Walk-In Registration will cost $60. A Free Silverbacks T-shirt is included in the registration fee.

It’s been a pretty boring offseason up until now, but this has been a very exciting week that might have made it all worth it. New opponents, a reignited rivalry with Chattanooga, new Cities to travel to for fans that enjoy going to away games, a longer schedule, and the possibility of a new group of exciting, locally based players are all worth getting excited about. Let’s hope the string of exciting news continues.