From Goff over at WaPo:
United Soccer League, an ambitious third-tier circuit that is thriving in several medium and large markets, is eager to place a team in Baltimore for the 2018 season, multiple sources told the Insider.
The most promising scenario has the Wilmington Hammerheads moving from the North Carolina coastal town to Charm City, taking a year off for marketing and logistical purposes and beginning play under a new name in 2018 at Towson University, which is located 10 miles north of downtown Baltimore.
The league has also fielded inquiries from separate potential investors with Baltimore ties, making the city a candidate for expansion as well as relocation, one source said.
Among the possible names being floated for a new team is FC Baltimore and Baltimore FC. Aside from Towson, the University of Maryland Baltimore County emerged as a possible home venue, but the sides couldn’t work out a plan for major renovation of the small grass facility in Catonsville.
For player development purposes, all 20 MLS teams have a USL affiliate. D.C. United, for instance, is aligned with the Richmond Kickers and the Hammerheads serve New York City FC. It’s unclear what NYCFC would do while a Baltimore team is dormant in 2017.