It would be understandable to react to last week’s announcement of the expansion of the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup to include every team in the USL Championship and League One with the mindset we’ll inevitably see the Championship’s perennial contenders push their way to the front in the hunt for more silverware.

Heck, if you were to take a poll now as to the favorite to win the second edition of the in-season tournament, Louisville City FC would probably be at the top of any list with others like Sacramento Republic FC and this year’s Championship Final winner Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC close behind.

There’s sound logic to that. After all, clubs in the Championship should have better resources, bigger budgets, and higher talent levels in their squads.

But there’s also good reason to believe the 2025 Jägermeister Cup is going to be both a heck of a lot of fun, and much more unpredictable than you might expect.

• PULLING THEIR WEIGHT: In terms of official on-field competition, when League One clubs have squared off against Championship opposition, they’ve generally held their own. Since the return of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2022, League One clubs have advanced on 12 occasions against Championship opposition compared to 16 eliminations.

• COMPELLING ACTION: Whether League One clubs have come out on top or not, some of the Open Cup’s most entertaining games have pitted League One and Championship clubs against each other. Who can forget last year’s 4-4 draw between the Charlotte Independence and Rhode Island FC that saw Charlotte advance in a penalty shootout? How about the Charleston Battery’s dramatic 3-2 win after extra time against South Georgia Tormenta, highlighted by MD Myers’ hat trick?

• SHAKE IT UP: In a short format – every team will enter seven games from being crowned Jägermeister Cup champion – the potential for ups and downs will be ever-present. That applies particularly when we get to the knockout stages. Who outside of the most optimistic fans had Rhode Island and Spokane Velocity FC going to their respective league finals this fall when the Championship and League One Playoffs began? Single-game knockouts mean drama.

The inaugural edition of the USL Jägermeister Cup showed the tournament’s potential. Using total goals as the first tiebreaker added a novel twist to the group stage. With two wild cards up for grabs next year, and only four group stage games to earn a spot across the six groups, it should add to the drama as the tournament expands.

Add League One’s expansion class and the introduction of potential new rivalries – Alligator Alley Derby between Miami FC and FC Naples, anyone? – it’s likely we’re going to see some great storylines unfold.

While the usual suspects could easily rise to the top, history tells us we should be ready for a surprise.

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This is an excerpt from the USL Championship's free Weekly Newsletter, The Rondo. Sign up to get stories like this and more directly in your inbox every week.