COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew 2 announced today that they will face UPSL side New York Renegades FC in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19 at Lower.com Field.
Tickets to the First-Round matchup will go on sale on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 9 a.m. First Team Season Ticket Members will have exclusive access to discounted prices through the Membership Team, MembershipTeam@ColumbusCrew.com. All public and walkup tickets will be $10, and all seating will be general admission on the East and North ends of the stadium.
The NY Renegades were the 2024 UPSL American North Premier Regular Season champions and qualified to the cup after defeating Lansdowne Yonkers FC on penalties in the Third Round of Open Cup qualifiers.
The First Round of the Open Cup will take place from March 18-20. There are 96 teams participating this year. Ten MLS NEXT Pro teams, eight USL Championship teams and 14 teams from USL League One will enter the tournament in the First Round along with 32 amateur teams from across the country. The remaining 16 USL Championship teams will enter in the Third Round, and each of the 16 MLS teams will enter in the Round of 32.
The Crew First Team earned the Club’s first trophy with an Open Cup championship in 2002. The Club has a 26-23 record in the tournament, and has participated 25 times going back to 1998, earning two additional runner-up results.
The Open Cup has been played every year since 1914, except for 2020 and 2021, making this the 110th edition of the tournament. The winner of this year’s tournament will receive $300,000 in prize money and a berth into the 2026 Concacaf Champions League. The runner-up will earn $100,000, and the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
Crew 2 begin the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign on the road against Orlando City B on Sunday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at Osceola Heritage Park. Crew 2’s home opener is slated for Sunday, April 6 at 6 p.m. against Crown Legacy FC.
Crew 2 single-match tickets are on sale now for the affordable price of $10 per match. First Team Season Ticket Members will have exclusive access to discounted prices through the Membership Team at MembershipTeam@ColumbusCrew.com.
The majority of Crew 2 and MLS NEXT Pro matches will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, and the remainder will be on MLSNEXTPro.com. Additional broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
