Memphis 901 FC Learns US Open Cup Entry Date

All 24 teams in the USL Championship will be participating in this year’s US Open Cup. Despite MLS attempting to weasel their way out of the competition by citing “schedule congestion” (a hilariously transparent excuse, given that they are the ones who created the schedule congestion with their cash grab Leagues Cup), all of the teams in the USL Championship have reaffirmed their commitment to the oldest soccer competition in the United States. That includes Memphis 901 FC, as Assistant Sporting Director Caleb Paterson-Sewell attested to at Memphis 901 FC Media Day.

Today, the format for the 2024 US Open Cup was released by US Soccer. And while it appears that the federation caved and gave in to most (if not all) of MLS’ demands, there will still be eight teams from MLS in the Open Cup as well as all the teams from the USL Championship and various lower divisions.

The first round of tournament is slated to begin on March 19 but Memphis 901 FC will not be joining until the third round. The third round is set to be played on Tuesday April 16 and Wednesday April 17. After not hosting any US Open Cup games in 2022 or 2023, many 901 FC fans will undoubtedly be interested to learn that the Memphis Redbirds final home game before the third round of the Open Cup is on Sunday April 14 and their next home game isn’t until Tuesday April 23. Should 901 FC get to host an Open Cup game this year, fans that are season ticket holders will get priority on US Open Cup tickets.

Since their debut in 2019, Memphis 901 FC has usually performed well in the Open Cup. In 2019, they beat the New York Red Bulls U-23 team 3-1 in front of 4,057 at AutoZone Park. They then hosted Hartford Athletic and demolished them 4-0 out at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in front of 1,819 (funnily enough on the anniversary of the city’s founding in…1819). But then came the big one as they hosted MLS side Orlando City out at Mike Rose. They may have lost 3-1, but they drew an over-capacity crowd of 3,088.

Unfortunately, they Open Cup was canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to COVID before resuming in 2022. That year was 901 FC’s worst showing in the Open Cup as they went on the road to Chattanooga FC and fell at the first hurdle. But 2023 saw them rebound in a big way. All three games were on the road but they won an extra-time thriller at One Knoxville SC and then beat Atlanta United from MLS in another extra-time thriller before they ran out of gas and were eliminated by the Birmingham Legion.

Before they join the US Open Cup however, there is other business to attend to for 901 FC. They play their final preseason game tomorrow on the road against St. Louis City II. They then begin their sixth season in the USL Championship down at AutoZone Park on Saturday, March 9 against the Las Vegas Lights at 3pm. There is another home game the following Saturday, March 16 against Indy Eleven with kickoff still to be determined. Single game tickets are on sale now.