U.S. Soccer announced the Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup on 14 October 2026, a new national knockout competition for women’s clubs from across the United States. The tournament will be a single-elimination event that brings together teams from different divisions to compete for a single national title. Organisers describe the prize pool as exceeding $1.5 million, with the winners receiving $1.1 million — the largest financial award yet for a domestic women’s club competition.
What the competition will look like
The Cup will be staged as a straight knockout tournament. Exact numbers of entrants and the draw format have not been released, but U.S. Soccer says the structure is designed to include clubs from multiple tiers of the women’s game. The single-elimination format means each fixture is decisive: a loss ends a team’s run and the winners progress through rounds to a final that will decide the champion.
Prize money and financial impact
The headline figure is the distribution of more than $1.5 million in prize money, with $1.1 million reserved for the champions. That sum is substantially larger than prize pools historically offered in domestic women’s competitions in the United States. U.S. Soccer framed this as an investment in the women’s club game aimed at boosting club revenues and providing meaningful financial incentives for success on the pitch.
Who can enter and why it matters
Organisers say the competition will welcome clubs from different divisions, creating matchups that do not normally occur in regular league play. The entry criteria and how many teams from each tier will participate have not been published, so the tournament’s inclusivity and impact on smaller clubs will depend on those forthcoming regulations. For clubs outside the top division, the Cup represents a rare chance to contest substantial prize money and national exposure over a short series of knockout ties.
Key implications for clubs and players
- Financial boost: The winners’ share is large enough to alter a club’s budget planning for a season, potentially funding player contracts, facilities or development projects.
- Competitive incentive: Single-elimination football raises stakes for each game and can produce high-profile cup runs that raise club profiles and player market value.
- Calendar pressure: Adding a national knockout competition requires schedule coordination with existing league and international windows, which could intensify fixture congestion for clubs involved across competitions.
Organisation, timing and governance
U.S. Soccer will run the competition and will publish detailed regulations, entry deadlines and a competition calendar ahead of the first edition. The announcement did not specify a start date or whether the event will run within a single calendar year or across a season. Governance details such as match-day standards, disciplinary procedures and player registration rules will be part of the regulations to be issued before teams commit to entering.
Context and next steps
The Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup adds a national cup option for the women’s game at a time when many stakeholders are seeking more competitive opportunities and greater financial rewards for clubs and players. U.S. Soccer has said further technical details will follow, including the competition calendar and the full list of participating divisions. Clubs interested in taking part will await the regulations to understand eligibility and the route into the draw.
The announcement names the competition and the governing body directly: Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup and U.S. Soccer.
