Why aren't the New York Red Bulls U-23s in the U.S. Open Cup?

In 2014, the New York Red Bulls U-23 squad won the National Premier Soccer League.

In 2015, they are not in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: what is going on?

During this offseason, the RBNY U-23 team switched leagues and is no longer participating in the NPSL. For 2015 the squad (consisting of players in college who want to maintain their NCAA eligibility) will play in the USL Premier Development League.

According to the PDL, even though RBNY's U-23s won the NPSL last year, any US Open Cup spot earned doesn't carry over to a different league.

A PDL spokesperson told Once a Metro, "the PDL is allotted a certain amount of places in the Open Cup, and those spots are earned by teams through their performances the previous season.

"If a team moves to the PDL they don’t bring any qualification rights with them from another league."

Ok. But by winning the NPSL last year, the Red Bulls U-23 team should have earned earned a spot this year right?Based on their NPSL "qualification rights" last season, maybe? The team still exists, it just moved.

According to a NPSL spokesperson to OaM, "we're unable to comment as the New York Red Bulls U-23s are no longer part of the NPSL."

It looks like the Red Bulls will miss out on having a third team compete for the Cup. This is unfortunate: for a club that has taken this competition as seriously as it has in recent years (i.e. not very seriously), the more shots to win the better.

Oh well, the fanbase will just have to settle for the inevitable New York Red Bulls vs. NYRB II final we've all been dreaming of our entire lives.

NYRB II USOC Information

MLS-signed players will be able to play for NYRB II during the Open Cup.

The New York Red Bulls have confirmed to Once a Metro that should any players be loaned to NYRB II to play in USOC, they will be cup tied for the rest of the tournament and unable to play for RBNY in future rounds of the Cup.