While the 2017 season is still underway, US Soccer announced the groups for the first of three qualifying rounds for the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, where a record 108 teams applied for a chance to make America's most prestigious soccer tournament.
The first qualifying round starts September 23-24, where the 108 teams will compete in the single-game, knockout competition. Teams are group together to reduce travel, and specific matchups are randomized. After the first qualifying round, there are two more rounds teams must survive in order to qualify for the 2018 edition of the Open Cup.