2026 U.S. Open Cup Round 1 Proper Preview

St. Patrick’s Day Week starts the journey for those sides entering the 20926 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round 1 Proper. All the clubs from USL Championship, USL League One, MLS Next Pro, USL League 2, NPSL, and amateur qualifiers will get together in this first round, and the winners will face each other in the second round.While this edition won’t have the new expansion sides entering the cup, and some sides not making it due to the intervention of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the hope is that this will still be a fabulous knockout tournament for this season. Once again, welcome back to another Open Cup Night Across America. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthe90.substack.com/subscribe