CHICAGO (March 15, 2024) – U.S. Soccer announced today that every match of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will be broadcast for fans to watch across the country and specifically shared plans for the First and Second Rounds of the tournament.
Fans across the country can catch every thrilling moment of the First and Second Rounds on ussoccer.com, USLsoccer.com and MLSSoccer.com, guaranteeing unparalleled access to the tournament and ensuring that soccer fans everywhere will have access to the action-packed matches as teams compete in the nation's oldest and most prestigious soccer competition. Additional broadcast details for the later rounds will be announced in the near future as U.S. Soccer continues to ensure that fans do not miss a single moment of this historic tournament.
The First Round of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup marks the first time since 2008 that all 32 matchups will be exclusively between amateur and professional teams. Overall, this year’s edition of the tournament will feature the most First Round matchups between amateur and professional teams in the tournament’s 109-year history, more than doubling the previous amount of 16.
The First Round will consist of 32 games with 32 amateur clubs from the Open Division meeting 32 professional teams from Division III. The Open Division representatives include 11 Qualifying Round winners, 11 USL League Two teams, eight NPSL teams, the USASA National Amateur Cup champion and the UPSL Spring Champion. Division III representatives include 12 USL League One teams, nine NISA teams and 11 MLS Next Pro teams. The winners of the First Round will play each other in the Second Round of the tournament.
U.S. Soccer will be making its largest-ever investment in the tournament in 2024. With new commercial partners – including Marriott Bonvoy, Michelob Ultra, New York Life, and Nike – U.S. Soccer has prioritized enhanced financial incentives for participating teams, including significantly increased travel reimbursement. The Federation’s financial commitment also represents the most significant effort to date towards promotion of the tournament, underscoring U.S. Soccer’s dedication to fostering a more vibrant Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup experience for teams and fans alike.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer's Club Championship and has crowned a 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 and is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the world's third-longest continuously run national cup tournament.