(Grand Blanc, Mich., 01/20/2026) — The Flint City Bucks will host professional club Forward Madison FC in the first round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in downtown Grand Blanc.
The match will be played at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Don Batchelor Stadium, a stunning 6,000-seat multipurpose venue opened in 2023 by Grand Blanc Community Schools.
U.S. Soccer drew initial pairings today for the 111th edition of the nation’s oldest and more prestigious soccer competition, dating to 1914. The single-elimination tournament includes teams from all professional levels.
Tickets for the March 19 match are included in all Bucks and Flint City AFC season-ticket packages and are on sale today to the general public via the Bucks website: flintcitybucks.com.
The Bucks accepted an Open Cup invitation for the first time since rehoming to Genesee County in 2019. Flint City earned one of USL League Two’s nine automatic bids for 2025 — bypassing five open-division qualifying rounds — by winning the Great Lakes Division with a 9-3-0 record.
Forward Madison played its inaugural season in 2019, becoming a founding member of the fully professional USL League One. The side has since played in five consecutive Open Cups, winning all five of its first-round matches and twice advancing to the third round to compete against MLS clubs.
This year’s Open Cup will feature 32 semi-professional and amateur (Open Division) teams, each facing full professional sides in the opening round. Professional teams come from the second-tier USL Championship, as well as third-tier USL1 and MLS NEXT Pro. The furthest-advancing Open Division team will earn $50,000 in prize money and automatic qualification to the 2027 tournament.
Each team that wins two knockout matches and advances to the third round will earn the chance to face one of 16 teams entering from first-division Major League Soccer. The second round will take place March 31 and April 1, and the third round will take place April 14 or 15.
The Bucks have applied to host all Open Cup matches, with later-round games possible at the club’s usual home: Kettering University’s iconic Atwood Stadium in downtown Flint.
Read full news release here: https://www.flintandgenesee.org/us-soccer-awards-flint-city-bucks-host-bid-u-s-open-cup-first-round/
