As the North American soccer calendar filled up in recent years with an ever-increasing number of domestic and international obligations, it became apparent that something had to give. On Friday, a century-old institution fell victim to that schedule congestion.
MLS announced that its clubs will skip the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in the league’s 29-year history, with teams instead entering their affiliates from the MLS Next Pro development league. An MLS spokesperson said the decision only applies to the 2024 tournament and that the league plans to reevaluate its approach to the Open Cup next season.