CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (January 27, 2026) — Chattanooga Football Club announced today that it will host Kalonji Pro-Profile (UPSL Premier Division) in the first round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Finley Stadium on Wednesday, March 18th at 6:00 p.m. ET.
This will represent Chattanooga FC's 11th year competing in the U.S. Open Cup, the country’s longest running national soccer competition.
Chattanooga will be one of only two MLS NEXT Pro teams (Carolina Core FC) competing in the First Round of the 2026 Open Cup.
GET TICKETS! Chattanooga FC to host Kalonji Pro-Profile in first round of U.S. Open Cup
This match is included for all 2026 season ticket holders! Chattanooga FC will be offering a special Business After Hours rate to companies looking to have a post-work event on the Southside. Reach out to tickets@chattanoogafc.com.
2026 Season Ticket Holders have the First Round of the U.S. Open Cup included in their season ticket packages.
Chattanooga FC will be offering a special Business After Hours rate to companies looking to have a post-work event on the Southside. Reach out to tickets@chattanoogafc.com or fill out this form to secure hospitality for as low as $8.00.
The tournament kicks off with a 32-game, three-day First Round between March 17 and 19, and for the third year in a row the round will be made up exclusively of Pro vs. Amateur contests.
For the 2026 First Round, teams were paired on a geographic basis with the restriction that each professional team was matched with a team from the Open Division.Â
All 32 First Round matchups will be streamed live, as CBS Sports returns as the multi-media rights partner for the 2026 competition. Matches not airing on CBS Sports platforms will be carried live on U.S. Soccer's YouTube channel.
The 32 winners from the First Round will face off in a Second-Round matchup on March 31 or April 1. Each of the 16 teams that advance from the Second Round will face one of the 16 Division I professional teams from Major League Soccer who enter in the Round of 32 on April 14 or 15. Eight of the MLS teams will be seeded as home, and eight will be seeded as away ahead of this draw based on the qualifying criteria. The final 32 teams will play down to a field of four semifinalists in May before the competition breaks until the semifinals on September 15 or 16. The Final match is slated for Wednesday, October 21.Â
The complete starting field of 80 teams for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is competing for a $1 million purse, with a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup also up for grabs.Â
2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
First Round: March 17-19
Second Round: March 31-April 1
Round of 32: April 14-15
Round of 16: April 28-29
Quarterfinals: May 19-20
Semifinals: Sept. 15-16
Final: Oct. 21
Chattanooga FC's overall U.S. Open Cup record is 6W-7L-6D (3 advancing, 3 failing to advance).
