Four Tennessee teams to play in 2026 Open Cup
Nashville controversially omitted
Four teams from the Volunteer State will compete in 2026’s edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup it was announced on December 4. Chattanooga FC (MLS Next Pro), One Knoxville SC and Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL League One), and Tennessee Tempo FC (UPSL) will take the field from March.
Alex Ashton recently provided a detailed breakdown of the Open Cup’s format in 2026 for the Southeast Soccer Report, which you can read here. The tournament will consist of seven rounds, shedding a round to accommodate for the World Cup in June-July. Another key feature is that the 2026 edition will have no more than 16 clubs from each professional division, 48 clubs in total. This would mean that every existing Division III (USL League One and MLS Next Pro) side would feature but would not include expansion sides or Next Pro sides affiliated with an MLS franchise.
Shockingly, holders Nashville SC of Major League Soccer will not be defending their trophy. Sides playing in Concacaf Champions Cup and/or Leagues Cup are excluded meaning they’re not one of the 16 MLS teams to be eligible. Ronan Briscoe has more on that below. UPSL’s Tennessee United have also missed out on the competition proper, losing out in the fall qualifying.
Qualified teams
Chattanooga FC
Chattanooga | Finley Stadium (20,412) | MLS Next Pro
How they qualified: While MLS NEXT Pro teams affiliated with a senior MLS side are not eligible based on the ‘one club, one entry’ principle; Chattanooga FC takes its place in the competition due to its independent status. CFC will enter the competition in Round 1 (Tuesday, March 17 – Thursday, March 19).
First appearance: 2011 (First Round)
Best finish: Third Round (2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023)
2025 run: Chattanooga beat USL League 2 outfit Corpus Christi 1-0 in the First Round, thanks to a late winner from Markus Naglestad. A Second Round bout with neighbors the Red Wolves was likely one of the most highly anticipated and talked about Cup games in recent memory, and didn’t disappoint. After falling behind, Daniel Mangarov equalized for CFC at Finley Stadium but they would go on to lose on penalties. They won in the stands, however, where the vast majority of the 12,000 spectators in attendance were firmly in blue. A Second Round finish in the end, and the club will aim to do better in 2026.
One Knoxville SC
Knoxville | Covenant Health Park (6,500) | USL League One
How they qualified: Because fewer than 16 teams participating in 2026 Divison III leagues have results in the 2025 League Standings, all 13 returning USL League One teams otherwise eligible from the 2025 season will qualify. One Knoxville will enter the competition in Round 1.
First appearance: 2023 (Second Round)
Best finish: Third Round (2025)
2025 run: Knoxville marched all the way to Round 3 last year, before losing 3-2 away at USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchacks. No shame in that. On their way they’d beaten the NPSL’s Appalachian FC 3-0 and league rivals Greenville Triumph 3-1, both away from home. It represented their best Cup run so far in their brief history with Leo Santos, Babacar Diene, Scott McLeod, Mark Doyle, and Stavros Zarokostas sharing their eight goals.
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
East Ridge | CHI Memorial Stadium (2,500) | USL League One
How they qualified: Same as One Knoxville. The Red Wolves will enter the competition in Round 1.
First appearance: 2019 (First Round)
Best finish: Round of 32 (2025)
2025 run: 2025 also represented a best ever run for the Red Wolves. After advancing through PKs in the First (at NJ Alliance), Second (see above), and Third rounds (at Las Vegas Lights), they eventually fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat away at eventual champions Nashville SC of MLS. It was a fine run for a threadbare squad that never played at home. Matt Bentley, Omar Hernández, Zahir Vazquez, and Pedro Hernández, provided the five goals in their run.
Tennessee Tempo FC
Murfreesboro | Ken Nolan Stadium (5,000) | UPSL
First appearance: 2023 (First Round) as Beaman United FC
Best finish: First Round (2023)
2025: n/a
How they qualified: Tempo went undefeated in the 2025 United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) spring season earlier this year. Their 1-0 win over LA10 FC in the Championship game in Irvine, California not only earned the club a first national UPSL title, but also qualified them for the 2026 US Open Cup.
Omitted teams
Tennessee United FC
Gallatin-based Tennessee United were knocked out during the qualification phase of the Cup. After receiving a bye in the First Qualifying Round, they defeated fellow UPSL side Eagles Sports Southaven 2-0 in Round Two before a 7-1 drubbing at home to regional amateur powerhouse Southern Indiana FC in the penultimate round. Indiana went on the qualify for the tournament.
Nashville SC
Ronan Briscoe: The reigning champs of the Open Cup will not be participating in this year’s edition, with the Boys in Gold competing in CONCACAF Champions Cup, and likely Leagues Cup as well.
The basic formula for figuring out who is in what competition is that clubs can compete in a maximum of two cup competitions, and clubs who reach the postseason are almost all earmarked for Leagues Cup, while those who don’t are chosen for the Open Cup. 2024 Open Cup champs Sporting KC also did not defend their crown in 2025.
The unfortunate part of this, is that Nashville’s qualification, along with the shrunken tournament size in 2026 owing to the competition needing to work around the World Cup, means that neither Nashville nor their MLS Next Pro affiliate in Huntsville will be participating in the competition.
In my opinion, what little it matters, this is really, really unfortunate. Part of me understands to a small degree why you limit clubs to two competitions, and I do understand why the Open Cup was shrunken for 2026. But, man, Huntsville deserves a shot in that competition.
2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
First Round: Tuesday, March 17 – Thursday, March 19
Second Round: Tuesday, March 31 – Wednesday, April 1
Round of 32: Tuesday, April 14 – Wednesday, April 15
Round of 16: Tuesday, April 28 – Wednesday, April 29
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, May 19 – Wednesday, May 20
Semifinals: Tuesday, Sept. 15 - Wednesday, Sept. 16
Final: Wednesday, October 21
First and Second Round draws and schedule will be announced by U.S. Soccer in January. The first live draw will be held Tuesday, April 2, when the Round of 32 and subsequent round pairings will be determined.
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. Draw groups may be created to account for venue availability in any round, based on the league schedule of competing teams or other conditions per tournament regulations.