SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose Earthquakes II will battle for a spot in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs in their Decision Day finale against Whitecaps FC 2 on Sunday, Sept. 20. Kickoff from Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia, is set for 2 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on OneFootball, as well as on MLSNEXTPro.com.
“This season has been one of tremendous growth and development for our group, said Head Coach Dan DeGeer. “We’ve experienced both highs and lows, but we’ve earned the opportunity to go into the final day with a chance to reach the playoffs. Our focus is on what we can control—delivering a strong performance and earning three points on the road—then trusting that the other results will fall our way.”
San Jose will finish in the top nine of the Western Conference and clinch a 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs berth on Sunday, Sept. 20, with any of the following:
- Quakes II win + Tacoma Defiance two or fewer points vs. Timbers2
- Quakes II win + North Texas SC two or fewer points at Colorado Rapids 2
- Quakes II win + MNUFC2 loss vs. LAFC2
- Quakes II shootout win + North Texas SC one or fewer points at Colorado Rapids 2
- Quakes II shootout win + Tacoma Defiance one or fewer points vs. Timbers2
- Quakes II shootout loss + North Texas SC loss at Colorado Rapids 2
- Quakes II shootout loss + Tacoma Defiance loss vs. Timbers2
Decision Day
All 30 MLS NEXT Pro teams take the field on Decision Day – 16 Eastern Conference teams play their final matches of the 2026 regular season simultaneously at 11 a.m. PT, while 14 Western Conference teams close the regular season with concurrent matches at 2 p.m. PT. All Decision Day matches will air on both OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Playoff Qualifications
Seven teams automatically qualify from each Conference (14 total): the two Division Champions plus the next five teams with the most points. The winners of the Play-in Round matches will join the seven teams in each conference to round out the playoff field at eight teams per Conference (16 total).
Play-in Round
Following Decision Day, the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in each conference will face off in a single-elimination match, hosted by each No. 8 seed. The winners of the Play-in matches will advance as the final No. 8 seeds in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
Pick-Your-Opponent
MLS NEXT Pro’s Pick-Your-Opponent format returns for the fourth consecutive year and will be utilized during the first two rounds of the 2026 Playoffs: the Conference Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals. Higher seeded teams will host and select their opponents from lower seeds.
The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs round-by-round format and schedule follows (17 total matches):
Play-in Round:
October 9-11 (one match per conference) No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds in each conference
Conference Quarterfinals:
October 16 – 18 (four matches per conference) No. 1-3 seeds in each conference will host and select their opponent from the No. 5-8 seeds (with No. 8 being the winner of the Play-in Round) No. 4 seed will host the remaining Club
Conference Semifinals:
October 23 – 25 (two matches per conference) The highest remaining seed in each conference will select and host an opponent from the two lowest seeded teams The two remaining Clubs will face each other, with the higher of the two seeds hosting
Conference Finals:
October 30 – November 1 (one match per conference) The higher remaining seed in each conference will host the other remaining Club
MLS NEXT Pro Cup:
November 6-8 (one match) The Club with the highest regular season points total will host the other remaining Club
