Kentucky State Cup

The Kentucky State Open Cup is part of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, which is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. The National Championship provides approximately 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. Annually, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation’s top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country.

This tournament is open to any properly registered team aged 13U – 19U that has competed in (or will compete in) a minimum 4-team league. Teams participating in affiliated National and Regional Leagues, plus teams finishing in the top four of the previous year’s State Cup or KPL Premier Division, MUST participate in the Kentucky State Open Cup. No all-star teams or guest players are allowed. The State Cup Champions will advance directly to the US Youth Soccer National Championship in 2026, there will be no regional competitions for the NCS. See updated tournament policies below for a full review of all changes made to this year’s competition.