USL Championship, League One to Compete for USL Cup in 2026
The Prinx Tires USL Cup Features all Championship and League One clubs

The USL released the format, groups and schedule for the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cub today.
Just like the 2025 version, then sponsored by Jägermeister, there will be a group stage, followed by a knockout tournament.
The seven groups have six clubs each, with the exception of group four, which has seven clubs. The clubs will play four group matches, two home, two away, drawn prior to the release of the schedule.
Clubs will advance to the knockout round by winning their respective group, along with one wild card advancing as a second-place team with the most points in group play. In the result of a points tie, the tiebreaker will be goals scored.
Play will begin on April 25th, continuing with one group stage round per month through July. The knockout round will begin on August 13th, followed by Semifinals on September 9th and the final tentatively scheduled for the weekend of October 2-4.
Hartford Athletic won last year’s tournament, defeating Sacramento Republic in the final. Greenville Triumph made it the furthest of the USL League One group, losing to Hartford in the semifinal.
Prinx Tires USL Cup Groups
Group 1
Spokane Velocity FC
Athletic Club Boise
Sacramento Republic FC
Oakland Roots SC
Monterey Bay FC
Las Vegas Lights FC
Group 2
AV ALTA FC
Orange County SC
El Paso Locomotive FC
Phoenix Rising FC
New Mexico United
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Group 3
One Knoxville SC
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Corpus Christi FC
FC Tulsa
San Antonio FC
Birmingham Legion FC
Group 4
Fort Wayne FC
Forward Madison FC
Union Omaha
Detroit City FC
Indy Eleven
Louisville City FC
Lexington SC
Group 5
Portland Hearts of Pine
Westchester SC
New York Cosmos
Hartford Athletic
Rhode Island FC
Brooklyn FC
Group 6
Greenville Triumph SC
Charlotte Independence
Richmond Kickers
Loudoun United FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Charleston Battery
Group 7
FC Naples
Sarasota Paradise
South Georgia Tormenta FC
Miami FC
Sporting JAX
Tampa Bay Rowdies


This is like a preview of what the divisions could be when new teams come onboard and/or pro/rel is implemented.