USL Cup

The first USL Cup featured teams exclusively in USL League One; however, USL already intended to expand the cup beyond just that league. Richmond Kickers chairman Rob Ukrop stated at the time of the announcement that another league had been invited to participate, but wasn't “ready to jump in yet.”{{cite web |url=https://leagueoneupdater.com/what-we-know-about-the-usl-league-one-in-season-cup/ |title=What We Know About the USL League One In-Season Cup |last=Ashton |first=Alex |date=December 13, 2023 |website=LeagueOneUpdater.com |publisher=League One Updater |access-date=March 18, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240318173652/https://leagueoneupdater.com/what-we-know-about-the-usl-league-one-in-season-cup/ |archive-date=March 18, 2024}}

The format of the 2024 USL Cup allowed a balanced league schedule for the 2024 USL League One season, with each team playing each other twice and also preserving the length of the season. Previous to the creation of the USL Cup, the league had regularly played an unbalanced schedule of 28–32 games, often playing other teams in the league three times. The introduction of USL Championship sides into the competition in 2025 re-introduced an unbalanced schedule to USL League One.

In an interview, USL Championship president Jeremy Alumbaugh and USL League One president Lee O'Neill stated that both USL Championship and USL League Two were being considered to enter the competition in future years. However, the USL Cup was not considered to be a replacement for the U.S. Open Cup, and USL teams would continue competing in future U.S. Open Cup tournaments.{{cite web |url=https://www.transfermarkt.us/exclusive-interview-usl-bosses-alumbaugh-amp-oneill-on-new-cup-format-pro-rel-and-expansion/view/news/436650 |title=Exclusive interview: USL bosses Alumbaugh & O'Neill on new cup format, pro/rel and expansion |date=April 26, 2024 |website=Transfermarkt.us |publisher=Transfermarkt |access-date=August 15, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815203007/https://www.transfermarkt.us/exclusive-interview-usl-bosses-alumbaugh-amp-oneill-on-new-cup-format-pro-rel-and-expansion/view/news/436650 |archive-date=August 15, 2024}}

O'Neill emphasized in USL's announcement of the tournament that the creation of the USL Cup would "open up more possibilities for the competitive structure going forward." The announcement also hinted that the tournament could be a precursor to a promotion and relegation system within the professional levels of the USL.

The 2025 edition of the USL Cup saw the addition of USL Championship clubs to the competition, keeping a similar format to the previous year's edition.

If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a penalty kick shootout will occur. A regulation win is worth three points, a shootout win worth two, and a shootout loss worth one.

The teams participating in the competition are split into groups of six to seven teams, with each team facing two teams in their group at home, and two others away. The top team from each group advances to a knockout round, in addition to the two teams with the most points that do not win their group.{{cite web |url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1337492 |title=The USL Jägermeister Cup is ready for another round |date=April 25, 2025 |website=USLChampionship.com |publisher=USL Championship |access-date=April 25, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425175628/https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1337492 |archive-date=April 25, 2025}}

The first edition of the competition split the teams into three groups of four teams. Teams played the other three teams in their group twice, home and away. They played an additional two games against two teams in other groups, one at home and one away. The top team from each group, plus the team with the most goals scored that did not win their group, advanced to the knockout round.

Jägermeister was announced as the title sponsor for the USL Cup on March 18, 2024, three months after the initial announcement of the tournament and one month before the competition's kickoff.{{cite web |url=https://www.channel3000.com/news/shareable-stories/usl-league-one-in-season-tournament-gets-its-name-the-usl-j-germeister-cup/article_d347a318-e599-11ee-9a4a-cb2dd17cdbb9.html |title=USL League One in-season tournament gets its name: The USL Jägermeister Cup |last=Jones |first=Kyle |date=March 18, 2024 |website=Channel3000.com |publisher=WISC-TV |access-date=August 15, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319063655/https://www.channel3000.com/news/shareable-stories/usl-league-one-in-season-tournament-gets-its-name-the-usl-j-germeister-cup/article_d347a318-e599-11ee-9a4a-cb2dd17cdbb9.html |archive-date=March 19, 2024}} The announcement of Jägermeister's sponsorship stated that it was a multi-year agreement. USL Championship president Paul McDonough confirmed in an interview with Sports Business Journal that the agreement with Jägermeister was for two seasons, running through the 2025 edition of the competition.{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/12/12/usl-jaegermeister-cup |title=USL expanding Jägermeister Cup to all teams |last=Silverman |first=Alex |date=December 12, 2024 |website=SportsBusinessJournal.com |publisher=Sports Business Journal |access-date=December 12, 2024 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212160040/https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/12/12/usl-jaegermeister-cup |archive-date=December 12, 2024}} A lawsuit by ownership of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC placed the cost of the sponsorship at $300,000 per year.{{cite court |litigants=Future Legends v. USL PRO 2 |court=Los Angeles County Superior Court |date= |quote=On information and belief, Jaegermeister [sic] entered into a multi-year deal with USL to sponsor the cup at a price of $300,000.00 annually. |url=https://www.lacourt.org/CaseSummary/UI/casesummary.aspx?caseNumber=24STCV29641 |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/e-104329574}}

In February 2024, USL announced that ESPN+ would be the exclusive broadcaster for all matches in the 2024 USL Cup.{{cite web |url=https://www.uslleagueone.com/news_article/show/1301942 |title=United Soccer League and ESPN Renew Multiyear Broadcasting Agreement for USL Championship and USL League One |date=February 27, 2024 |website=USLLeagueOne.com |publisher=USL League One |access-date=March 18, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240318172107/https://www.uslleagueone.com/news_article/show/1301942 |archive-date=March 18, 2024}} For the 2025 USL Cup, games will continue to be broadcast by ESPN+, with the possibility of also being aired by various CBS networks.

• The "Season" column refers to the season the competition was held, and wikilinks to the article about that season.

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Category:Soccer cup competitions in the United States

Category:Annual sporting events in the United States

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2024

Category:National association football league cups

Category:2024 establishments in the United States