The month of March is long over, and the final nets have been cut down. Teams have won, teams have lost, and at the end of the month we have seen the best of college basketball across the country. College sports is on a higher rung on the ladder than some professional sports, garnering more attention and fan interactions with March Madness than other sports events.
For soccer fans, April comes with the announcement of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tournament drawing, and thus the eyes of soccer fans country wide sprint to computer screens to see what the first round draws look like. While the die hards know exactly what the US Open Cup means from the teams who have won, many casual soccer fans know nothing of the tournament or its long history until its deep into the brackets, and MLS or even NASL squads enter the fray.
Regardless of your position on the tournament, something needs to be done to adapt it to the growing popularity of US Soccer. With the US Women’s National Team about to begin a World Cup Campaign, NASL and MLS having started their seasons and the US Men’s national team getting their last prep work in before the Gold Cup, the time is now for the Lamar Hunt trophy to take off.
When you think of major tournaments, most find their minds drifting to the month of March. The NCAA Tournament is one of the most well-known sports tournaments in the country. Attracting millions of fans of teams along with millions upon millions in advertising revenue, NCAA’s March Madness has a long history that allows for the depth of coverage. Everyone cheers for the darlings and roots for their home teams. We all fill out our brackets and watch as they crumble after the first or second rounds.
What makes the NCAA tournament so special? Taking out the monetary aspects that go into the success of the tournament, as well as the credibility of schools like Duke University and Wisconsin University who both were in the championship game this year leaves one core aspect that makes the tournament what it is.
The tournament is a cultural event. Fans have expectations every year. They know there will be upsets and they know there will be big and close games. When Selection Sunday comes around after the conference tournaments are over, we all wait and watch as the bracket fills up. We join pools in our offices or with our friends, and as time as developed online as well. The NCAA tournament creates an environment of excitement and anticipation as fans of all college teams watch on their smart phones or TVs pretending to be productively working as the first games behind.
Now, it would be very easy to throw money as the problem. “Oh, just put it on NBC Sports Network, that’ll fix it,” and you would probably right. That’s not the point though, because that is simple. Money onto a problem is just a Band-Aid on a wound.
So what can be done to build the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tournament brand?
- Drop the name down to one or the other. Even saying “Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tournament” requires a second to make sure you actually said the name of the tournament correctly. You can still acknowledge the history without both names.
- Give more press to the semi pro teams that join in early on. This tournament is arguably the highest level any of the players will play on. Give them media attention with interviews and videos showing the history the teams, interviews with players, and giving supporters emotional connections.
- An easy to understand and read bracket. This is one of the most iconic parts of the March tournament for College Basketball. Office pools, online pools, and hundreds of other contests are tied into the bracket for March Madness. If US Soccer could take the time to make the bracket easy to understand, that would help supporters understand the tournament.
- Build up more of a social media presense and tap into the digital media market. This can help bring eyes for supporters on the east coast about action going on during the tournament on the west coast and vice versa. YouTube would also be a great tool that US Soccer can tap into with the right amount of money and workers, but that might border on unrealistic expectations for the organization. What could be done is encouragement of teams who have the ability to broadcast to broadcast by providing money or support in other avenues.
Recently announced, Jeff Crandall (@JefeCrandall) is bringing more of an awareness to US Open Cup Tournament by actually running social media for the tournament. Follow the new official twitter for the tournament, @OpenCup.
- Adjusting the tournament in some manner. While US Soccer is very inclusive, allowing for semi pro teams to join in on the tournament with play in games or other early round games, many casual fans either don’t have the time or don’t want to look through the long list of teams that probably won’t even make it to the fourth round when MLS squads join the tournament. Perhaps a reduction of teams in the tournament or when teams enter can help alter the timing of when supporters begin to pay attention to the tournament.
The tournament has grown over the years. With over 100 years of history attached to it, a history that is called for when it comes to caring for something. The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tournament has developed from a simple format to an annual tournament.
It’s time now for change to occur. It’s time for US Soccer to put more stock in their projects at home than the projects abroad.
I recently asked on my Twitter (@SoccerWithBrain) for suggests on how to improve the Open Cup, and got a ton of replies. Thanks to those who replied:
@SoccerwithBrain @usopencup @ussoccer start w/the last 16 or 32 if you want to include lower tiers. Promo it on MLS/Nat’l team broadcasts.
— Craig B. Lefevre (@chezlefevre) April 14, 2015
@SoccerwithBrain @ussoccer @usopencup maybe stream the draws too. At least we will know how the teams were paired. Hot host can’t hurt!
— Roger Graham (@rogman99) April 14, 2015
@SoccerwithBrain @usopencup @ussoccer Air the games on BeIn Sport, make games available for streaming on YouTube. Make them available period
— Rene A Menjivar (@renemenjivar) April 14, 2015
@SoccerwithBrain @usopencup @ussoccer Giant killing. Throw everyone in earlier and random draw.
— Steve Lilly (@Backtozerouk) April 14, 2015
@SoccerwithBrain throw MLS in earlier and have a two day kickoff with games all day like the NCAA trny then stream it or whip around on FS1
— Kyle Barnes (@urinalking) April 14, 2015
@SoccerwithBrain @usopencup @ussoccer It would be nice if US Soccer did more to promote the games on their social media platforms.
— jasonkarl (@jasonkarl) April 14, 2015
@NASLinStLouis Would it be alright if I include this tweet in the column?
— Brian Cook (@SoccerwithBrain) April 14, 2015
@SoccerwithBrain @usopencup @ussoccer All games streamed on youtube that arent on TV. Promote any TV games through all social media.
— Trent Hill (@Shotdown1027) April 14, 2015
Televising the Semis & Final would be nice, but televising Round 4 is the most important @mjmattsui @SoccerwithBrain
— Josh Hakala (@joshhakala) April 14, 2015
What do you think can be done to bring the tournament into the mainstream of soccer?
Main Photo: CHESTER, PA – SEPTEMBER 16: Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso #6 of the Seattle Sounders FC and forward Conor Casey #6 of the Philadelphia Union race for the ball during the 2014 U.S. Open Cup Final at PPL Park on September 16, 2014 in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Sounders won 3-1. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
