U.S. Soccer Announces Format For 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Entering its 104th year of competition, the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup format is now set, with the remaining eligible Open Division local qualifiers advancing directly to the First Round on May 10. As a result, the tiered-bracket and single-game knockout format will see a modern era record of 99 teams participate.

As has been the case the past two years, teams will be paired geographically from the First Round through the Fourth Round. After the Fourth Round, a geographically-based random draw will take place to determine the Round of 16 matchups and set a fixed bracket to the Final, scheduled for Sept. 20.

A total of 56 Open Division teams (including clubs from the Premier Development League and National Premier Soccer League as well as those advancing from local qualifying) will enter in the First Round, while 24 clubs from the Division II North American Soccer League and United Soccer League will see their first action in the Second Round on May 17. The Third Round takes place May 31, with the winners from this stage joined by 19 Division I Major League Soccer clubs in the Fourth Round on June 14.

This year’s winning team will receive $250,000, a berth in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions’ League and have its name engraved on the historic Dewar Challenge Trophy, one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in U.S. team sports. The runner-up will earn $60,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $15,000 cash prize.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Club Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 103 consecutive years dating from 1914. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor United States soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.