The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup may be the oldest domestic soccer competition in the United States by a considerable margin, but in its 109th edition of play, there’s a nervy feeling of new beginnings around the famed tournament.
Major League Soccer and the U.S. Soccer federation announced that only a handful of MLS clubs will participate in this year’s tournament.
MLS clubs have featured in the U.S. Open Cup since the league began play in 1996, dominating the event by winning all but two of the 27 tournaments since then. However, the league has stated that they are concerned with the sustainability of the current format, preferring to pour significant resources into the new Leagues Cup, while the U.S. Open Cup is sacrificed.
Last winter, MLS attempted to withdraw all clubs from the competition, but when that proposal was rejected by U.S. Soccer, the two sides came to a partial agreement. Eight clubs from MLS will enter this year’s event, while 10 more affiliated youth sides from MLS NEXT Pro will take the place of others.
MORE: Why are only a few MLS clubs participating in the 2024 US Open Cup?
How to watch 2024 US Open Cup
All matches of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup will be broadcast, as U.S. Soccer hopes to increase the tournament’s visibility.
Full broadcast details of the entire tournament have not been announced, but it was revealed that all first and second-round matches will be streamed on the official websites of U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer and USL. Likely, as the later rounds arrive, U.S. Soccer will lean on their rights deal with Turner Sports for much of the tournament’s coverage.
For the first time since 2008, the U.S. Open Cup will be formatted so that the first round is made up exclusively of matchups between professional teams against amateur clubs. Expanding that concept further, all MLS clubs will be forced to match up against lower-league opponents until that is no longer possible, based on other scheduling restrictions.
The idea is to give lower-league sides matches with greater visibility, while enjoying the chance to generate upsets.
Who is playing in the 2024 US Open Cup?
A total of 96 teams will enter the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, but the field will look significantly different from recent years.
Not all Major League Soccer teams will participate, leaving the door wide open for a lower-league champion, something which hasn’t happened since the now-defunct Rochester Rhinos won in 1999.
An MLS participant has triumphed in every single edition since that time — a 22-year run, not including the two cancelled editions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sacramento Republic, who will participate this year, are the last lower-league side to reach the final, when they fell to Orlando City in 2022.
In fact, only four clubs participating in this year’s competition have ever won the tournament: defending champions Houston Dynamo, plus other MLS sides Seattle Sounders, Atlanta United and FC Dallas.
2024 US Open Cup participating teams
Entering in Round of 32
Only nine MLS first-team clubs will enter the U.S. Open Cup in 2024 — the defending champions Houston Dynamo plus the top eight clubs from the 2023 standings who are not participating in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
All the MLS clubs entered are automatic qualifiers into the Round of 32, while the top seven sides in the 2023 USL Championship (Tier 2) regular season standings will also enter at this stage, along with USL Championship playoff winners, Phoenix Rising.
| Club | League | Qualified via |
| Houston Dynamo | MLS | 2023 US Open Cup — 1st 2023 MLS aggregate table — 9th |
| Seattle Sounders | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 7th |
| LAFC | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 8th |
| Atlanta United | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 10th |
| Real Salt Lake | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 11th |
| FC Dallas | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 14th |
| Sporting KC | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 15th |
| San Jose Earthquakes | MLS | 2023 MLS aggregate table — 16th |
| Phoenix Rising | USLC | 2023 USL Cup winners |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 1st |
| Sacramento Republic | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 2nd |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 3rd |
| Charleston Battery | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 4th |
| Orange County SC | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 5th |
| San Antonio FC | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 7th |
| Colorado Springs Switchbacks | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 8th |
Entering in Third Round
Before that, the third round will see the remaining 16 USL Championship (Tier 2) clubs start the competition. This includes the two expansion sides, North Carolina FC and Rhode Island FC.
| Club | League | Qualified via |
| Memphis 901 | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 9th |
| Louisville City | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 10th |
| Indy Eleven | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 11th |
| El Paso Locomotive | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 13th |
| New Mexico United | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 14th |
| Birmingham Legion | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 15th |
| Oakland Roots | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 17th |
| Detroit City FC | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 18th |
| Miami FC | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 19th |
| Monterey Bay FC | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 20th |
| FC Tulsa | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 21st |
| Loudoun United | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 22nd |
| Las Vegas Lights | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 23rd |
| Hartford Athletic | USLC | 2023 USL Championship — 24th |
| North Carolina FC | USLC | 2024 USLC expansion club |
| Rhode Island FC | USLC | 2024 USLC expansion club |
Entering in First Round
All other clubs will enter the US Open Cup in the first round. This early field is headlined by nine affiliated MLS NEXT Pro clubs, set to replace some MLS senior squads who were not selected to participate.
| Club | League | Qualified via |
| Austin FC II | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with Austin FC (MLS) |
| Chicago Fire FC II | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Colorado Rapids 2 | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with Colorado Rapids (MLS) |
| Crown Legacy FC | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with Charlotte FC (MLS) |
| LA Galaxy II | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with LA Galaxy (MLS) |
| Minnesota United 2 | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with Minnesota United (MLS) |
| NYCFC II | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with NYCFC (MLS) |
| NY Red Bulls II | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with NY Red Bulls (MLS) |
| Portland Timbers 2 | MLS NEXT Pro | Affiliation with Portland Timbers (MLS) |
| Carolina Core FC | MLS NEXT Pro | 2024 MLS NEXT Pro expansion club |
| Chattanooga FC | MLS NEXT Pro | 2024 MLS NEXT Pro expansion club |
| Union Omaha | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 1st |
| Northern Co. Hailstorm | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 3rd |
| Charlotte Independence | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 4th |
| Greenville Triumph | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 5th |
| Forward Madison | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 6th |
| Tormenta FC | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 7th |
| One Knoxville SC | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 8th |
| Lexington SC | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 9th |
| Chattanooga Red Wolves | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 10th |
| Richmond Kickers | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 11th |
| Central Valley Fuego | USL1 | 2023 USL League One table — 12th |
| Spokane Velocity | USL1 | 2024 USL League One expansion club |
| Michigan Stars | NISA | 2023 NISA standings — 2nd |
| LA Force | NISA | 2023 NISA standings — 3rd |
| Maryland Bobcats | NISA | 2023 NISA standings — 5th |
| Club de Lyon | NISA | 2023 NISA standings — 7th |
| Savannah Clovers | NISA | 2023 NISA standings — 8th |
| Arizona Monsoon | NISA | 2024 NISA expansion club |
| Capo FC | NISA | 2024 NISA expansion club |
| Georgia Lions | NISA | 2024 NISA expansion club |
| Irvine Zeta | NISA | 2024 NISA expansion club |
| Tulsa Athletic | NPSL | 2023 NPSL Final champions |
| Apotheos FC | NPSL | 2023 NPSL Final runners-up |
| West Chester United | NPSL | 2023 NPSL semifinalists |
| Steel City FC | NPSL | 2023 NPSL quarterfinalists |
| FC Motown | NPSL | 2023 NPSL quarterfinalists |
| El Farolito SC | NPSL | 2023 NPSL quarterfinalists |
| Lubbock Matadors | NPSL | 2023 Lone Star Conference winners |
| Duluth FC | NPSL | 2023 North Conference winners |
| Ballard FC | USL2 | 2023 USL League Two title winners |
| Asheville City SC | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Brave SC | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Chicago City SC | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Des Moines Menace | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Hudson Valley Hammers | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| NoVa FC | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Redlands FC | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| South Carolina United | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Vermont Green FC | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| Western Mass Pioneers | USL2 | USL League Two participant |
| SC MesoAmerica | USASA | 2023 National Amateur Cup champions |
| AS Frenzi | UPSL | 2024 UPSL Spring Champions |
| Azteca FC | CPL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Brockton FC United | UPSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| FC Folsom | UPSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| FC America CFL Spurs | UPSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Foro SC | UPSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Irvine Zeta FC 2 | UPSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| South Carolina Heat | UPSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Chicago House AC | MWPL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Christos FC | MSSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Miami United FC | USSL | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
| Vereinigung Erzgebirge | USL-P | 2024 US Open Cup local qualifier |
Which MLS clubs will not play in the 2024 US Open Cup?
With only eight senior MLS sides participating in the U.S. Open Cup in 2024, that leaves the 21 clubs left out.
Six of those teams were excused due to continental participation — with MLS looking to ease the schedule of those in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Only Houston Dynamo, who were afforded the opportunity to defend their 2023 U.S. Open Cup title, will participate in both tournaments.
The bottom 15 MLS clubs from the 2023 standings were not selected to participate. Inter Miami missed out on both counts — finishing 27th in the 2023 aggregate standings and also participating in the CONCACAF Champions Cup via winning the Leagues Cup.
| Club | 2023 finish | Missed out via |
| Columbus Crew | MLS Cup champions | CONCACAF Champions Cup participation |
| Inter Miami | MLS aggregate table — 27th 2023 Leagues Cup champions |
CONCACAF Champions Cup participation & MLS standings |
| FC Cincinnati | Supporters’ Shield winners | CONCACAF Champions Cup participation |
| St Louis City SC | Western Conference winners | CONCACAF Champions Cup participation |
| Orlando City SC | MLS aggregate table — 2nd | CONCACAF Champions Cup participation |
| New England Rev. | MLS aggregate table — 5th | CONCACAF Champions Cup participation |
| Nashville SC | MLS aggregate table — 12th 2023 Leagues Cup runners-up |
CONCACAF Champions Cup participation |
| Sporting KC | MLS aggregate table — 15th | MLS standings |
| San Jose Earthquakes | MLS aggregate table — 16th | MLS standings |
| NY Red Bulls | MLS aggregate table — 17th | MLS standings |
| Portland Timbers | MLS aggregate table — 18th | MLS standings |
| Charlotte FC | MLS aggregate table — 19th | MLS standings |
| Minnesota United | MLS aggregate table — 21st | MLS standings |
| NYCFC | MLS aggregate table — 22nd | MLS standings |
| D.C. United | MLS aggregate table — 23rd | MLS standings |
| Chicago Fire | MLS aggregate table — 24th | MLS standings |
| Austin FC | MLS aggregate table — 25th | MLS standings |
| LA Galaxy | MLS aggregate table — 26th | MLS standings |
| Colorado Rapids | MLS aggregate table — 28th | MLS standings |