CHICAGO (Sept. 11, 2024) - A record-high 114 amateur teams have entered the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and will compete in the Qualifying Rounds this fall. They enter the 110th edition of U.S. Soccer’s historic club championship as the ultimate underdogs, vying for 14 spots in the 2025 Tournament Proper next spring.
The New York Pancyprian Freedoms, winners of the 2024 USASA National Amateur Cup, and Soda City FC, the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) Spring Champion, have already earned entry into the 2025 Tournament Proper by virtue of their respective championships.
The other half of the Open Division field will come via the National Leagues pathway. Teams from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and the United Soccer League’s (USL) League Two entered the Open Cup through league competition this past summer.
The 114-strong Qualifying Round field is headlined by notable clubs including former National Amateur Champions and Open Cup regulars Lansdowne Yonkers FC and former Open Cup Champs NY Greek Americans (1967, 1968, 1969 and 1974).
There’s another former Champion in the mix in the form of the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (1960, 1961, 1963 and 1966) representing the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania. From out west, we’ll have last year’s delightful debutants Sharktopus FC of Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer and International San Francisco from the historic San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL).
The 114 teams will be grouped into 14 regional pools from which the Qualifying Round draw will be conducted. The 2025 Qualifying Rounds will be played across four weekend match windows as follows.
- Match Window 1: Saturday, Oct. 5 & Sunday, Oct. 6
- Match Window 2: Saturday, Oct. 26 & Sunday, Oct. 27
- Match Window 3: Saturday, Nov. 16 & Sunday, Nov. 17
- Match Window 4: Saturday, Dec. 7 & Sunday, Dec. 8
Additional slots in the Tournament Proper are available to Qualifying Round teams this fall due to a change approved by the U.S. Open Cup Committee for the 2025 edition. With the changed procedure, half of the 32 spots reserved for Open Division Teams in the Tournament Proper would be allocated to National League teams, while the other half would be allocated to the designated UPSL and USASA Champions and the Qualifying Round entrants. The 16 National League slots will be allocated on the pro-rated bases between the national leagues based on eligible team count in Summer of 2024.
2025 Open Division Clubs for 2025 Qualifying Rounds (114 Teams):
American Premier League / USASA (1 Team):
Aegean Hawks FC (DC)
Austin Men's Soccer Association / USASA (1 Team):
Austin Thunder (TX)
Bay State Soccer League / USASA (2 Teams):
FC Omens (MA), CD Faialense (MA)
Colorado Premier League / USSSA (5 Teams):
Azteca FC (CO), Boulder United FC (CO), Colorado Rovers (CO), FC Denver (CO), Harpos FC (CO)
Dallas Soccer Alliance / USSSA (2 Teams):
D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (TX), StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club (TX)
DC Premier League / USASA (1 Team):
Guerrilla FC (DC)
EPSL / USASA (13 Teams):
Alloy Soccer Club (PA), Central Park Rangers FC (NY) , Kensington Soccer Club (PA), KidSuper Samba AC (NY), Lansdowne Yonkers FC (NY), Maryland Bobcats II (MD), New York Greek American SC (NY), Nova FC (VA), Oaklyn United FC (NJ), Patuxent FA (MD), SC Vistula Garfield (NJ), Vidas United FC (PA), Zum Schneider FC 03 (NY)
Florida Gold Coast League / USASA (1 Team):
Hurricane FC (FL)
Greater Chicago Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
United SC (IL)
Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Pittsburgh Dynamo (PA)
Houston Football Association / USASA (1 Team):
ASC New Stars (TX)
Long Island Soccer Football League / USASA (1 Team):
Leros SC (NY)
Midwest Premier League / USASA (2 Teams):
Chicago House AC (IL), Edgewater Castle FC (IL)
Mountain Premier League / USASA (2 Teams):
Peak Eleven Football Club (CO), Timbers SC (CO)
Maryland Super Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Steel Pulse FC (MD)
NISA Nation / USASA (4 Teams):
Las Vegas Legends FC (NV), Modesto City Football Club (CA), Roc City Boom (NY), Soccer Academy Nevada (NV)
Ohio Valley Premier League / US Club Soccer (1 Team):
Valhalla FC (OH)
Premier Futbol League / USASA (1 Team):
Red Force (FL)
San Francisco Soccer Football League / USASA (2 Teams):
International San Francisco (CA), SF Vikings SC (CA)
Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer / USSSA (2 Teams):
Sharktopus Football Club (WA), Washington Athletic Club (WA)
The Select League / US Club Soccer (1 Team):
Woodland Football Club (KS)
Southwest Premier League / USSSA (4 Teams):
Chula Vista FC (CA), Desert FC (CA), JASA RWC (CA), Playmaker FC (CA)
Sunshine Conference Soccer League / USSSA (1 Team):
Naples United U23 (FL)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA (5 Teams):
Colonial SC (PA), Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (PA), United German Hungarians (PA),Vereinigung Erzgebirge Majors (PA), West Chester United SC (PA)
United Premier Soccer League (50 Teams):
210 FC (TX), Acoreano Sport (CA), Alexandria Reds (VA), Bay Valley Suns Sports Club (CA), Bellevue Athletic FC (WA), Boston Street FC (MA), Bowling Green FC (KY), Chicago Strikers (IL), City SC San Diego (CA), City Soccer FC (FL), Dalton United (GA), DC Hyper (DC), Deportivo Lake Mary FC (FL), Deportivo Rose City (OR), FC Balboa (CA), FC Bartlesville Buffaloes (OK), FC Folsom (CA), FCY New York (NY), FORO SC (TX), Harbor City FC (FL), Hodler Miami FC (FL), Holac FC (WA), Independente Los Angeles Futbol Club (CA), Irvine FC (CA), International Soccer Association (FL), Kissimmee Soccer Club (FL), Laguna United FC (CA), Miami United FC (FL), Mint Hill FC (NC), MSI Pro (MD), Napa Valley 1839 FC (CA), New Jersey Alliance FC (NJ), Next Level Soccer (AZ), NY Empire FC (NY), NY Renegades FC (NY), Palm Beach Flames SC (FL), Pinecrest Premier SC (FL), Pre-College Development Academy (TN), Project Football (MA), Real Galt FC (CA), San Diego Internacional (CA), South Carolina United Heat (SC), Southern Indiana FC (IN), Southern Indiana Guardians FC (IN), Trojans FC (CA), Tulsa Athletic (OK), UDA Soccer (NM), VA Revolution Pro (VA), Valley 559 FC (CA), Wisloka Chicago (IL)
USSL / USSSA (7 Teams):
FC America CFL Spurs (FL), Fenix United (FL), Houston Regals SCA (TX), Inter Nona Soccer Club (FL), Miami Soccer Academy (FL), O'Shea's FC (FL), River Miami FC (FL)
Virginia Super Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Virginia Dream FC (VA)
