It is the oldest ongoing competition in the United States and was contested by 97 teams from leagues in the U.S.
[1] The 97 entrants included the 20 American clubs from Major League Soccer and 22 non-affiliated American clubs in the United Soccer League.
The qualification tournament, held in 2017, determined the 13 teams from local amateur leagues.
Cash prizes and travel reimbursement costs were also increased for the 2018 edition.
The 2018 tournament initially excluded clubs from the North American Soccer League, which suspended operations for the year, but a decision by the Open Cup Committee in March 2018 allowed for the entry of NPSL teams Jacksonville Armada FC, Miami FC 2, and New York Cosmos B as part of an added play-in round, which brought the total number of NPSL teams participating in the tournament to 22.