Last year’s inaugural edition of the USL Jägermeister Cup was a resounding success.

Featuring every club in USL League One, it provided high-scoring entertainment in the group stage and a tense knockout stage capped off by a Final that was decided in a penalty shootout.

If that served as the prelude, then this year’s expanded tournament is set to provide even more intrigue as all the clubs in the USL Championship enter the fray. The 38 teams from the Championship and League One will attempt to navigate a seven-match path to a trophy, starting this weekend with an 18-game slate across the six regionally oriented groups.

• RIVALRIES OLD AND NEW: Each round of the group stage sets up with some well-known rivalries – see Friday night’s Dogwood Derby between North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Independence or Saturday’s clash between Florida rivals the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Miami FC – and some matchups that have the potential to take off rapidly. If you saw the U.S. Open Cup clash between first-year League One side Portland Hearts of Pine and the Championship’s Hartford Athletic – who also square off on Saturday – you’ll know exactly what I mean.

• UP AND COMERS: The tournament also offers some of the surprise packages so far this season a chance to further burnish their reputation. Current League One leader and first-year club FC Naples has shown its mettle in its first 10 games across all competitions, now it gets to face off against the Charleston Battery on home turf in a fascinating opening matchup. Meanwhile, the Championship’s Loudoun United, Monterey Bay FC and FC Tulsa can add to their stellar starts in league play as they hunt for a first trophy in their histories.

• CHANGING IT UP: One important change is coming to the USL Jägermeister Cup this year. The USL Sporting Committee recommended a change to the criteria for the two Wild Cards that will join the six group winners in the knockout stage. Instead of the Wild Cards being determined by total goals in group play, the two non-group winners with the most points will advance, with total goals serving as the first tiebreaker.

For the USL Championship clubs getting to compete in the event for the first time, there’s a positive sense of anticipation, even among those who’ve already got a fairly full trophy case.

“The biggest thing is it’s another trophy to win,” said Louisville City Head Coach Danny Cruz at his weekly press conference. “Obviously, it’s the first time the USL Championship is involved in it, and for us [there’s] excitement about trying to enter into a new tournament that gives us a chance to compete, play against teams that maybe our fans don’t always see, and ultimately do everything we can to lift the trophy at the end of it.”

With its incorporation into the regular season format that sees each round of games played predominantly on the final weekend of the month through July 26’s final round, the guarantee of a penalty shootout to determine the winner of a bonus point if a game ends in a draw after 90 minutes – which stands to be even more important due to the changes in Wild Card tiebreakers – and a host of first-time matchups to enjoy, the road to the USL Jägermeister Cup Final on Saturday, October 4 should take plenty of exciting twists and turns.

We’re ready for another round. How about you?

LEARN MORE

• USL host Dan Lucas walks you through the overall tournament format.
• Nicholas Murray makes his picks for six games you should tune into in Round 1.
• Which clubs from the USL Championship should make A Shot At Glory their priority?