U.S. Soccer has announced a new women's soccer competition called the Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup, unveiled at the federation's annual summit in Philadelphia on October 14. The tournament will be a single-elimination knockout competition open to clubs from both the NWSL and the USL Super League.
The winner of each edition will earn a berth in the following season's CONCACAF W Champions Cup, the continental club competition that CONCACAF launched in 2024. The format mirrors domestic cup competitions on the men's side, such as the U.S. Open Cup or the EFL Cup, which bring together clubs from multiple tiers of a national football pyramid.
No official launch date has been confirmed, but ESPN's chief women's soccer journalist Jeff Kassouf reported that the competition is likely to begin in 2028.
U.S. Soccer's announcement stated that the Crest Cup winner will receive $1.1 million in prize money, which the federation says is a record for a women's soccer competition in the United States.
U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone commented on the launch, saying women's soccer continues to be one of the most dynamic and inspiring forces in sport. She added that the Crest Cup will create meaningful impact by bringing people together, attracting investment in the future of the game, and ensuring that excellence, inclusivity, and opportunity remain at the heart of women's soccer in the United States.
Who is Arthur Blank?
The competition is named after Arthur Blank, an 84-year-old American businessman born in Queens who co-founded Home Depot, opening the first two stores in Atlanta in 1979. He has invested heavily in U.S. sports, owning the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of MLS.
Blank also helped fund U.S. Soccer's new headquarters and training complex outside Atlanta, which opened in 2026. He holds the rights to an NWSL expansion franchise, Atlanta City FC, which is set to begin play in 2028.
