RENTON โ JT Batson needs no explanation of the appeal of the U.S. Open Cup. He has a lot of first-hand experience.
The CEO of US Soccer has been attending American lower league soccer games since he was a youth in Augusta, Georgia. Most recently, he was a guest of Open Cup legend Roger Levesque at the Ballard FC vs. Spokane Velocity game at Memorial Stadium. , a friend of his since their days at Stanford University.
Batson said he was surprised by the atmosphere at the game and the knowledge of the fans, even though the game was played in a dilapidated stadium with barely functioning toilets and already scheduled for a nine-figure renovation.
“It was great, it was a lot of fun,” Batson said Thursday during a media roundtable at the Sounders FC Center in Longacres. “It was a celebration of so many great things about American Soccer. A young owner pushing the boundaries of wanting to do cool things. Local professional soccer is what makes American Soccer great.”
Batson said the 2026 World Cup's main legacy project is to make soccer the most accessible sport in the United States, and the Open Cup is a key element in making that a reality.
โA big part of the Open Cup is telling the stories of the great things happening in football across the country, and a big part of that is making the game accessible,โ he said. โMLS and USL have teamed up with us to make it possible for fans to watch every game online. Stadiums and non-stadiums, cool spaces and cool environments where people can watch all over the country. It was really cool to see them investing in soccer. I think soccer only works in the U.S. if the whole ecosystem is healthy. The owners of MLS are accepting of that and are willing to do that. I think you understand.โ
That last sentence was in response to the perception that MLS was trying to avoid responsibility for participating in the tournament. Specifically, MLS attempted to unilaterally send the MLS Next Pro team to the 2024 tournament in place of the top team. U.S. Soccer rejected the proposal, and after months of negotiations, the teams agreed to the current format, which includes eight MLS teams participating in the tournament and 11 MLS Next Pro teams.
Rather than expressing dissatisfaction with the process, Batson seemed to suggest that a serious discussion about the format, funding and structure of the tournament was long overdue.
“The reality of the Open Cup was not something that anyone had considered strategically for a long time,” he said. โWe needed to do it.
โThere are a lot of things about wanting the Open Cup to be what it should be, and I think thatโs the wrong framework. Football has changed a lot for the better. How can we use this to tell these stories and bring people together? How do we use this to highlight cool new facilities? Young coaches. And innovative ownership and community models? American soccer has a great story, and we can use the U.S. Open Cup to help bring it to life. MLS, USL, key stakeholders… We are committed to making that happen.โ
Aside from significant improvements to travel costs, revised revenue sharing calculations, and increased investment in prize pools, perhaps the most obvious change to the format is in the way matchups are determined. For example, in the recently concluded first round, every match featured one amateur team and one professional team. If USL Championship teams advance to the third round, they will face lower division opponents, as will the eight MLS teams that advance to the Round of 32.
“That's what everyone was asking for,” Batson said. “Wasn't that so cool? People really came out. People want to get Open Cup right, and I'm sure they want to get this right more broadly.”
At least publicly, Batson doesn't seem interested in picking a fight with MLS or playing hardball in his bid to play full-time. He was also completely unprepared to predict the future of the Open Cup or how MLS would continue to be involved, but seemed genuinely happy with the solution for 2024.
โFor a tournament like this to happen, a lot of people have to participate,โ he said. “Luckily, everyone came together. I'm so glad everyone was really supportive. Frankly, we've ignored this for too long, and we need to come together and do some things. This is an opportunity to take a fresh look at it and move it forward, and we are committed to doing so.โ
Other highlights
- This was the first time that anyone can remember that a current US Soccer CEO visited Seattle in an official capacity. Batson was here primarily to tour the new training facility in hopes of learning some best practices as U.S. Soccer prepares to build its own facility outside Atlanta. Ta. The USMNT likely will not use Longacres as a practice base for the 2026 World Cup, but the USWNT may consider it if the United States wins a joint bid with Mexico to the 2027 Women's World Cup.
- The USMNT is scheduled to play their second group stage game at Lumen Field, and Batson said the players are expecting a “rowdy” pro-American look. โThey are looking forward to the home team environment here and we look forward to success in 2026, setting the standard for what football will be like in this country.โ
- Batson said the Rave Foundation is already on track for completion and will likely reach its goal of building 26 mini-pitches across the state before the start of the tournament, and that Seattle will continue to improve soccer accessibility. He pointed out that it is a shining example of improvement.
- Batson suggested that with the rise of the USL Super League, a U.S. Women's Open Cup could become a reality.
- When asked how Seattle could attract more U.S. soccer games, Batson bluntly answered, “It's simple, really. Lawn.”