TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League today confirmed that 47 USL teams will participate in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, including all 36 USL men’s professional teams and the qualified 11 USL men’s pre-professional clubs. This follows U.S. Soccer’s announcement of the finalized format for the 109th edition of the tournament.
“The USL has supported the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for nearly 30 years, and we are proud to be part of it again in 2024,” said USL President Paul McDonough. “We applaud all the USL clubs who have decided to participate in this year’s U.S. Open Cup, despite being handed the option to decline. We appreciate and share the fans’ passion for our country’s most historic and authentic competition, and we look forward to watching the drama unfold over the course of the tournament.”
The U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer’s club championship and has crowned a national champion annually since 1914 (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19). The historic tournament is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the world’s third-longest continuously run national cup tournament.
The First Round of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup will consist of 32 games with 32 amateur clubs from the Open Division meeting 32 professional teams from Division III.
The 32 winners of the First Round will be paired up and face each other in the Second Round. The 16 Second Round winners will then be matched up in the Third Round with 16 teams from the USL Championship, the top tier of the USL pyramid. These 16 USL Championship teams will be determined based on sporting merit through the USL Championship Players’ Shield standings.
2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
First Round Tuesday, March 19 – Thursday, March 21
Second Round Tuesday, April 2 – Wednesday, April 3
Third Round Tuesday, April 16 – Wednesday, April 17
Round of 32 Tuesday, May 7 – Wednesday, May 8
Round of 16 Tuesday, May 21 – Wednesday, May 22
Quarterfinal Tuesday, July 9 – Wednesday, July 10
Semifinal Tuesday, Aug. 27 – Wednesday, Aug. 28
Final Wednesday, Sept. 25
*Dates are subject to change
Division II
24 teams
USL Championship
(16 teams enter in the Third Round and 8 teams in the Round of 32)
Birmingham Legion FC
Charleston Battery*
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC*
Detroit City FC
El Paso Locomotive
FC Tulsa
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Las Vegas Lights FC
Loudoun United FC
Louisville City FC
Memphis 901 FC
Miami FC
Monterey Bay FC
New Mexico United
North Carolina FC
Oakland Roots SC
Orange County Soccer Club*
Phoenix Rising FC*
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC*
Rhode Island FC
Sacramento Republic FC*
San Antonio FC*
Tampa Bay Rowdies*
*USL Championship league champion (Phoenix Rising FC) and next seven best teams from 2023 standings enter Round of
32
