TAMPA, Fla.(WTNH) — The USL Championship announced Thursday its Board of Governors voted in favor of returning to play for the 2020 season, with a provisional start date set for July 11.

The USL is the home of Hartford Athletic. The club issued the following statement about the proposed start to the season:

Hartford Athletic is pleased to announce that the USL Championship Board of Governors voted on Thursday in favor of returning to play for the 2020 season, with a provisional start date set for July 11. While additional information on competition format, scheduling, broadcast and other important details will be made available in the coming weeks, it’s important to note that the league’s return to play will be conducted in strict alignment with all local and state public health guidelines. USL HQ also remains in regular dialogue with the USL Players Association on all matters concerning player health and wellness protocols and looks forward to continuing those discussions. To USL supporters across the country, we are grateful for your support throughout this process and look forward to being back in action with you all soon.

“On behalf of Hartford Athletic, we want to thank all of our incredible fans and partners for their patience during this challenging time,” said Hartford Athletic Chairman Bruce Mandell. “We have been working very hard behind the scenes with the USL League Office and fellow USL Clubs to safely return to the field this year. We are thrilled that we will be able to bring you USL Championship soccer this season starting in July and cannot wait to officially kick off our second season.”

For Season Ticket Members, Flex Plan holders, and Single Game ticket buyers, we will be in touch as soon as possible to provide more information as competitive format, schedule, and other factors are finalized. Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility and should you have any questions please contact tickets@hartfordathletic.com.

Hartford Athletic statement

The Athletic was supposed to have played its first match of 2020 back on March 13 when the start of the season was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.