# 2023–24 Scottish Challenge Cup

The 2023–24 Scottish Challenge Cup, known as the SPFL Trust Trophy due to sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd season of the competition. The total number of participating clubs was 53, including clubs from Wales and Northern Ireland. The competition began on 1 August 2023 with the first round and the final took place on 24 March 2024.
Thirty teams from the Championship, League One and League Two competed, along with four teams from the Highland Football League and four from the Lowland Football League. In addition to this, Under-21 teams from 11 of the 12 clubs competing in the Scottish Premiership were represented. This season also included guest clubs, with two sides each coming from Northern Ireland's NIFL Premiership (Cliftonville and Coleraine) and the Welsh Cymru Premier (TNS and Bala Town).

## Format

| Round | Date | Fixtures | Clubs | New entries |
| First Round | 1–2 August 2023 | 11 | 53 → 42 | 3 teams from 2022–23 Scottish League Two (8th–10th) 4 teams from 2022–23 Lowland Football League (1st–4th) 4 teams from 2022–23 Highland Football League (1st–4th) 11 U21 teams from 2023–24 Scottish Premiership |
| Second Round | 15–16 August 2023 | 10 | 42 → 32 | 2 teams from 2022–23 Scottish League One (9th–10th) 7 teams from 2022–23 Scottish League Two (1st–7th) |
| Third Round | 9–10 September 2023 | 16 | 32 → 16 | Teams from 2022–23 Scottish Championship (2nd–10th) 8 teams from 2022–23 Scottish League One (1st–8th) 2 teams from 2022–23 NIFL Premiership (4th and 6th) 2 teams from 2022–23 Cymru Premier (1st and 5th) |
| Fourth Round | 14–15 October 2023 | 8 | 16 → 8 | |
| Quarter-finals | 18–19 November 2023 | 4 | 8 → 4 | |
| Semi-finals | 3–4 February 2024 | 2 | 4 → 2 | |
| Final | 24 March 2024 | 1 | 2 → 1 | |

## First round

The first round featured 3 clubs from 2022 to 2023 Scottish League Two, 4 clubs from the 2022–23 Scottish Highland Football League, 4 clubs from the 2022–23 Scottish Lowland Football League and 11 of the 12 under-21 teams of the 2023–24 Scottish Premiership, with Ross County not entering an under-21 team.
The draw was made on 4 July 2023 at 13:00 and broadcast live on the SPFL YouTube Channel. The draw was regionalised and all non-Under 21 teams were seeded. The matches were played on 1 and 2 August 2023.

### North Section
#### Draw

Teams that entered the competition in the first round.
| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| Elgin City Brechin City Buckie Thistle Brora Rangers Formartine United | Aberdeen B Dundee B Heart of Midlothian B Hibernian B St Johnstone B |

#### Matches
### South Section
#### Draw

Teams that entered the competition in the first round.
| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| Bonnyrigg Rose Albion Rovers The Spartans University of Stirling Tranent East Kilbride | Celtic B Kilmarnock B Livingston B Motherwell B Rangers B St Mirren B |

#### Matches
## Second round

The second round featured the 11 winners from the previous round, along with 2 clubs from 2022 to 2023 Scottish League One and 7 clubs from 2022 to 2023 Scottish League Two.
The draw for the second round was also made on 4 July 2023 at 13:00 on the live broadcast from the SPFL YouTube Channel. The draw was regionalised, but not seeded. The matches were played on 15 and 16 August 2023.

### North Section
#### Draw

Teams that entered the competition in the second round.
* Peterhead
* East Fife
* Forfar Athletic

#### Matches
### South Section
#### Draw

Teams that entered the competition in the second round.
* Clyde
* Stirling Albion
* Dumbarton
* Annan Athletic
* Stenhousemuir
* Stranraer

#### Matches
## Third round

The third round featured the 10 winners from the previous round, along with the bottom club from 2022 to 2023 Scottish Premiership, 2nd-10th from 2022 to 2023 Scottish Championship, 8 clubs from 2022 to 2023 Scottish League One, 2 clubs from 2022 to 2023 NIFL Premiership and 2 clubs from 2022 to 2023 Cymru Premier.

### Draw

The draw was made on 17 August 2023 at 13:00 live on the SPFL YouTube Channel.
Teams that entered the competition in the third round.
| Championship | League One | Teams from other countries |
| Airdrieonians Arbroath Ayr United Dundee United Dunfermline Athletic Greenock Morton Inverness Caledonian Thistle Partick Thistle Queen's Park Raith Rovers | Alloa Athletic Cove Rangers Edinburgh City Falkirk Hamilton Academical Kelty Hearts Montrose Queen of the South | NIFL Premiership Cliftonville Coleraine Cymru Premier The New Saints Bala Town |

#### Matches
## Fourth round

The draw was made on 14 September 2023 at 13:00 live on the SPFL YouTube Channel.
No new teams enter in this round.
Teams in Italics were unknown at the time of the draw.
| Championship | League One | League Two | Lowland League | Premiership B teams | Teams from other countries |
| Airdrieonians Arbroath Dundee United Greenock Morton Queen's Park Raith Rovers | Falkirk Hamilton Academical Kelty Hearts Montrose Queen of the South | East Fife Peterhead | East Kilbride | Rangers B | Cymru Premier The New Saints |

### Matches
## Quarter-finals

The quarter-final and semi-final draws were made on 19 October 2023 at 13:00 live on the SPFL YouTube Channel.
Teams in Italics were unknown at the time of the quarter-final draw.
| Championship | League One | Teams from other countries |
| Airdrieonians Arbroath Dundee United Greenock Morton Raith Rovers | Falkirk Hamilton Academical | Cymru Premier The New Saints |