Union to kick off 2023 at home vs. Columbus in February, and host LAFC in September

Get ready for another cold start to a Union season, and get ready for a rematch of this year’s MLS championship game. But you’re going to have to wait a while for the latter.

MLS announced Tuesday that the Union will open their 2023 campaign on Feb. 25 at Subaru Park against the Columbus Crew in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

It’s a night game because as part of the league’s new deal with Apple, almost every game that isn’t nationally televised will kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturdays, wherever it is, whatever the weather.

Fans and teams have long wanted that much consistency with the schedule, though it will mean bundling up at the start of the year.

The biggest game of the year will come Sept. 23, when Los Angeles FC comes to Subaru Park for the first time since 2019. It will be the teams’ first meeting since their epic title game clash in L.A. last month, which the home team won on penalty kicks after a wild 3-3 tie.

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Other big home games this year include a visit from rival New York City FC on July 15, and Atlanta and Nashville in quick succession on Oct. 4 and 7.

The highlight road trips for fans to plan around are to California: June 10 at the San Jose Earthquakes and July 8 at the Los Angeles Galaxy. There’s also a big game at Atlanta on July 2 that will be nationally televised on Fox’s broadcast network.

There are no games this year against the popular teams from the Pacific Northwest — Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver — and there’s no game against expansion team St. Louis City SC.

Two other games will be on national TV, both on FS1, and both at home: May 17 vs. D.C. United and Sept. 3 vs. the New York Red Bulls. All three national TV games will also be shown in Spanish on Fox Deportes.

» READ MORE: MLS announces a limited TV package to go with its big Apple streaming deal

Every regular-season game, including the national TV ones, will be on Apple’s streaming platform in English and Spanish. Games against Toronto and Montreal also will be available in French. A subscription will cost $14.99 per month or $99 per season, with discounts for existing AppleTV+ subscribers.

Some games will be available without needing the MLS subscription package, either for AppleTV+ subscribers or with no paywall at all.

There will be no games on local TV anymore, a big factor in Apple’s willingness to not just take over MLS rights but pay at least $250 million a year for 10 years.

The regular season will stop for a month, from mid-July to mid-August, for the new Leagues Cup tournament pitting MLS teams against opponents from Mexico’s Liga MX.

Here’s the Union’s full schedule for the year, at least what’s been announced. The list below includes the Union’s Concacaf Champions League round of 16 games against El Salvador’s Alianza FC.

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Saturday, Feb. 25: vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, March 4: at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Tuesday, March 7: at Alianza FC, 8 p.m. (Concacaf Champions League, TV/streaming TBD)

Saturday, March 11: vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Tuesday March 14: vs. Alianza FC, 8 p.m. (Concacaf Champions League, TV/streaming TBD)

Saturday, March 18: at CF Montreal at Olympic Stadium, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, March 25: vs. Orlando City, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, April 1: vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, April 8: at FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m., (Apple streaming)

Saturday, April 15: at Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Sunday, April 22: vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, May 6: at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, May 13: at Colorado Rapids, 9:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, May 17: vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. (FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple streaming)

Saturday, May 20: vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, May 27: at New York City FC at Citi Field, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, May 31: vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, June 3: vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, June 10: at San Jose Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, June 21: at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, June 24: vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Sunday, July 2: at Atlanta United FC, 4 p.m. (Fox29, Fox Deportes, Apple streaming)

Saturday, July 8: at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, July 12: at Nashville SC, 8:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, July 15: vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Sunday, Aug. 20: vs. FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, Aug. 26: at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, Aug. 30: at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Sunday, Sept. 3: vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. (FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple streaming)

Saturday, Sept. 16: vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, Sept. 20: at Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, Sept. 23: vs. Los Angeles FC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, Sept. 30: at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Wednesday, Oct. 4: vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Saturday, Oct. 7: vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m. (Apple streaming)

Sunday, Oct. 21: at New England Revolution, time TBD (Apple streaming)