ABOUT THE SUPER CUP
The Minnesota Super Cup pits the best pre-professional and semi-pro clubs in Minnesota against each other in a World Cup-style tournament.
The first iteration of the Super Cup was be played in 2023. The tournament includes clubs from the nation's top national leagues including USL League Two, NPSL, and UPSL. Clubs were invited based on results from previous seasons in their respective league with an eye to bringing the most competitive clubs across leagues at this level together.
The tournament structure is similar to the World Cup.
Eight clubs will be divided into two groups of four. Each team in each group will play each other once with the top two clubs qualifying for the knockout rounds, which includes a semifinal and final.
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Competitors & Entry
The Competition shall be made up of Minnesota-based clubs in good standing with adult leagues affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Federation, directly or through a sanctioning body, e.g. U.S. Adult Soccer Association, including but not limited to USL League Two (USL2), the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), and MLS Next (MLSNext).
Entry into the competition is based solely on sporting merit. Total points at the end of the league season will determine eligibility. In the case of a point tie the following tiebreakers will be implemented, 1. Goal differential, 2. Home wins, and 3. Coin toss.
A Club shall only be represented by one team in the competition. Should a Club have more than one eligible entry, the more senior team will be allotted entry into the competition. The next highest points total Club within the Schedule will fill the junior team vacancy. Should no team be eligible from the schedule, the top available Club from Schedule A will be allotted the entry, and so on until the full slate of Clubs is assigned.
In addition to merit entry based on league play. One entry will be allotted to the winner of the Minnesota Super Cup Open Qualifier tournament (Qualifier). Should a vacancy occur, the 2nd place finisher of the Qualifier shall fill the vacancy. Should that vacancy not be filled then the top available Club from Schedule A shall be allotted entry and so on until the full slate of Clubs is assigned.
Leagues / Entry Allotment
Schedule A - USL League 2 (2 Entries) & National Premier League (2 Entries)
Schedule B - United Premier League (1 Entry) & MLS Next (1 Entry)
Schedule C - MASL Division 1 (1 Entry) & MN Super Cup Open Qualifier (1 Entry)
Cup-tied - Any player registered on a roster at the start of the Minnesota Super Cup shall be cup-tied for the duration of the tournament.
OPEN QUALIFIERS
The 2024 Minnesota Super Cup will be expanded to eight clubs. One of the additional spots in the tournament will be awarded to the winner of the Minnesota Super Cup Open Qualifiers. The Qualifiers are open to all Minnesota based pre-professional clubs that meet the minimum standards for entry into the competition.
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Structure
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Application window April 19, 2023 through September 1, 2023. Team applications will be reviewed and finalized by September 15, 2023.
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Competition window starting after September 15, 2023.
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All teams that complete the application, meet the requirements and minimum standards will be able to compete in qualifiers.
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Each round of competition is determined by a random draw. Winners move on to the next round, and the losing team is out of the competition until there is one MN Super Cup Qualifiers Champion, getting a berth into the 2024 MN Super Cup.
Requirements
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Clubs need to be in good standing with a sanctioned league or be a part of the Minnesota Soccer Association. If teams have questions or need assistance, please email jmartinson@mnsoccergroup.com. All teams may be registered with the Minnesota Soccer Association even if they play in an unsanctioned league, and we will help as much as possible with that process.
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Teams must complete team application on time.
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Teams must pay the $150 team fee (to be paid at time of application). This fee will be applied towards the 2024 MN Super Cup entry fee of $500 if they win the competition.
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Teams must have a designated team manager. The team manager can be a player.
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Teams must be able to host games, outdoor and indoor depending on the round and timing of the match. The facility must be a playing field with markings according to FIFA's Laws of the Game. Playing field measures a minimum of 65 yards wide by 110 yards long and a max of 80 yards wide by 120 yards long.
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Teams must have matching uniforms, with numbers featured prominently.
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Teams must register their players with MN Super Cup, and pay the applicable $15 player fee to obtain the necessary liability insurance and sanctioning.
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Teams must have their roster printed and each player must have a current photo ID present at matchday to be able to compete.
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Teams must pay referee fees at halftime of each game (referee fees to be split equally between participating teams).
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Teams must report their scores and basic stats to the MN Super Cup competition office within 4 hours of completion of the game.
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Players are cup-tied, that is, they can only be rostered on one club’s roster, and once they are registered with one team may not be registered or play with another club.
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Any travel expenses are the responsibility of the away team.
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Teams must be present for competition at least 30 minutes prior to the game with a minimum of 9 players or the game will be forfeited.
PARTNERS
