Eight MLS Clubs, 11 MLS Next Pro Teams to Play
Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images
MLS and U.S. Soccer have reached an agreement that will see eight MLS clubs and 11 MLS Next Pro teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament across leagues sanctioned by U.S. Soccer.
Last year’s U.S. Open Cup champion Houston Dynamo FC will play in this year’s tournament, along with the top seven available MLS teams in the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings. Teams playing in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, a group that includes several high-ranking teams in the Supporters’ Shield race last year, are exempt from playing in the U.S. Open Cup. Notably, Inter Miami CF will not participate even though the Lionel Messi-led team made it to the final last year.
The MLS clubs competing in the U.S. Open Cup are the Seattle Sounders, LAFC, Atlanta United, Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, Sporting KC and San Jose Earthquakes.
Clubs excluded from the tournament because they are participating in CONCACAF Champions Cup are the Columbus Crew, Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati, St. Louis City SC, Orlando City, NE Revolution, Nashville SC, Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps.
“We did have two objectives: The first was we felt very strongly that MLS Next Pro should have the right to participate in the tournament,” said Nelson Rodriguez, MLS’ executive vice president of sporting product and competition. “We also wanted to see if we could ease the workload of our players across the entirety of the calendar year and our schedule congestion.”
The 11 participating MLS NEXT Pro teams will include nine MLS affiliates—picked based on 2023 MLS Next Pro final standings—and two independent clubs, Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC. Teams are exempt from the U.S. Open Cup if their MLS teams participating in either the 2024 U.S. Open Cup or 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
MLS teams will be seeded to play lower division opponents until it cannot be avoided, enhancing the tournament’s potential for upsets.
“We think this adds to the overall mystique, charm and allure of the tournament,” Rodriguez said.
MLS confirmed the U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
For this year’s tournament, Rodriguez said, travel reimbursements will be higher than ever. “We believe that improved economics were important for all teams; simply, no team should participate in the U.S. Open Cup at a loss,” he said.
In December, the future of the Open Cup—which was first held in 1914—was in doubt. MLS requested to only field teams from MLS Next Pro at the tournament, but the ask was denied by U.S. Soccer.
Both sides told Sportico that they have discussed the issues to better define the league’s participation in the tournament.
Last week USL CEO Paul McDonough expressed disappointment at the U.S. Soccer Federation’s handling of a dispute.
The dispute between MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation brought negotiations for a broadcasting deal for the tournament to a standstill last month, sources familiar with the matter told Sportico in December.
Now that two sides are aligned on participation, talks with broadcasters—including with U.S. Soccer’s current rights holders Warner Brothers, Telemundo and CBS—are back on, according to a source, who asked to remain anonymous as the matter is private and still ongoing.
This article has been updated with more details on the tournament and quotes from Nelson Rodriguez.
