U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer announced today that the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will feature all 27 U.S.-based MLS teams, including Austin FC. It will mark the fifth occasion on which Austin FC will take part in U.S. Soccer’s historic national club championship tournament, including 2025 when the team won four knockout matches to reach the first cup final in Club history.
The Verde & Black are set to enter in the Round of 64 with their first match to be played at home in July. The Open Cup Final will take place December 15, 2027.
Format
A field of 96 teams from several leagues and divisions within American soccer will compete in a single elimination knockout format for a $1 million purse with a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup also up for grabs.
All U.S.-based MLS clubs will enter the competition in the Round of 64 and will join five seeded clubs from the USL Championship (Division II). Teams entering in the Round of 64 will have hosting priority in that round, while any lower-division teams that advance will have hosting priority for the Round of 32.
An additional 32 teams from the USL Championship, USL League One (Division III) and MLS NEXT Pro (Division III) will enter in the First Round, with each professional club facing off against a team from the Open Division.
Schedule
- First Round: April 13-14 & 20-21, 2027
- Round of 64 (Austin FC enters): July 8-11, 2027
- Round of 32: September 14-15, 2027
- Round of 16: TBC
- Quarterfinals: November 23-24, 2027
- Semifinals: December 1, 2027
- Final: December 15, 2027
First Round matchups will be announced in early 2027 with each pairing geographically matched with a team entering in the Round of 64. The first live draw will be held following the Round of 64, when the matchups and hosting scenarios for the Round of 32 and Round of 16 will be revealed.
The overall format, draw groups and pairings will be based on geography, along with the basic mathematic principles of a single-elimination competition. Random selection will be used to solve a lack of logical geographic fit.
