Champions League-style Challenge Cup revamp aims to give kids more chances
The competition has been given a radical new look for next season
SPFL chiefs have announced a Champions League-style revamp for the Challenge Cup, designed to breathe new life into the competition.
An estimated £1.25m in prize money will be shared with clubs for next season's competition, with the winners receiving £150,000, a 50 per cent increase on this season.
Next season's competition, rebranded the KDM Evolution Trophy from the SPFL Trust Trophy that Livingston won in March, will feature a first-round league phase made up of 30 teams from League One and Two and 10 Premiership 'B' teams.
Premiership 'B ' teams will play all games away from home. The draw will be split into three pots and regionalised into north and south, based on geography.
Teams will only play against six opponents from their own region, three from each of the other two pots.
Goals scored and points gained from the six matches will feed into the one league table – similar to the Champions League – with the top 22 progressing to the round of 32 and the bottom eight eliminated.
Teams finishing in positions one to six are seeded in the round of 32, alongside the 10 Championship clubs.
Teams from seven to 22 are unseeded in the draw, with teams paired according to final league phase and Championship rankings, and assigned two potential opponents from the other end of the rankings.
The competition reverts to a traditional knock-out, and there is no regionalisation at this stage, with open draws from the round of 16 onwards.
It is hoped that the revamped competition will provide more opportunities for young players, as youth prospects aged 15 are now eligible to take part.
SPFL group chief executive Neil Doncaster said: 'We're confident the new competition format will help develop some of our most promising players across the country.
'Allowing players to compete at a high level from the age of 15 will pay dividends for them, for their clubs and, ultimately, for the national side.
'We've had long discussions with our member clubs and the Scottish FA about this new competition format, and we've also introduced some key principles to reduce travel time and costs, particularly for William Hill League 1 and 2 clubs.
'We would lastly like to thank the SPFL Trust and the donors who support them, who have been fantastic supporters of this competition for the last four seasons.'
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