The Scottish League Cup was instituted in 1946 and has been known by various different names for sponsorship reasons, including the Skol Cup, the CIS Cup, the Coca Cola Cup and most recently the Betfred Cup.
This season, subscription TV channel Premier Sports continue as tournament sponsor and exclusive broadcaster.
The format has been tinkered with throughout its history, this is the seventh season of a re-established sectional/group stage format, which was used for many years, but previously abandoned in 1984.
Forty clubs take part in the group stage – the 37 league clubs not involved in European competition, together with the Highland and Lowland League champions. After the Lowland League received an extra place last season, the Highland League have it this season and second placed Buckie Thistle participate.
One change to previous years is that regionalisation of the group stage, which was always quite haphazard, has been dispensed with.
The eight group winners and three best runners-up qualify for the last 16, where they are joined by European entrants Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Dundee United and Motherwell.
2022-23 COMPETITION (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22)
GROUP STAGE
- Group A: Aberdeen, Dumbarton, Peterhead, Raith Rovers, Stirling Albion
- Group B: Fraserburgh, Kilmarnock, Montrose, Partick Thistle, Stenhousemuir
- Group C: Alloa Athletic, Buckie Thistle, Dunfermline Athletic, East Fife, Ross County
- Group D: Bonnyrigg Rose, Clyde, Falkirk, Greenock Morton, Hibernian
- Group E: Airdrieonians, Arbroath, Cowdenbeath, Edinburgh City, St Mirren
- Group F: Annan Athletic, Ayr United, Elgin City, Queen of the South, St Johnstone
- Group G: Albion Rovers, Cove Rangers, Inverness Caley Thistle, Kelty Hearts, Livingston
- Group H: Dundee, Forfar Athletic, Hamilton Accies, Queen’s Park, Stranraer
Saturday, July 9
- (A) Dumbarton – Stirling Albion
- (B) Fraserburgh – Kilmarnock
- (B) Stenhousemuir – Partick Thistle
- (C) Buckie Thistle – Ross County
- (C) East Fife – Dunfermline Athletic
- (D) Greenock Morton – Falkirk
- (D) Hibernian – Clyde
- (E) Cowdenbeath – Airdrieonians
- (E) St Mirren – Arbroath
- (F) Ayr United – Elgin City
- (F) Queen of the South – Annan Athletic
- (G) Albion Rovers – Livingston
- (G) Kelty Hearts – Inverness Caley Thistle
- (H) Dundee – Hamilton Accies
- (H) Stranraer – Queen’s Park
Sunday July 10
- (A) Peterhead – Aberdeen – Premier Sports
Tuesday, July 12
- (B) Fraserburgh – Montrose
- (C) Alloa Athletic – East Fife
- (C) Dunfermline Athletic – Buckie Thistle
- (D) Falkirk – Hibernian – Premier Sports
- (E) Airdrieonians – Edinburgh City
- (F) Ayr United – Queen of the South
- (F) St Johnstone – Annan Athletic
- (G) Albion Rovers – Cove Rangers
- (G) Livingston – Inverness Caley Thistle
- (H) Hamilton Accies – Stranraer
- (H) Queen’s Park – Forfar Athletic
Wednesday, July 13
- (A) Aberdeen – Dumbarton
- (A) Raith Rovers – Peterhead
- (B) Kilmarnock – Partick Thistle – Premier Sports
- (D) Clyde – Bonnyrigg Rose
- (E) Arbroath – Cowdenbeath
Saturday, July 16
- (A) Peterhead – Dumbarton
- (A) Raith Rovers – Stirling Albion
- (B) Montrose – Kilmarnock
- (B) Stenhousemuir – Fraserburgh
- (C) Buckie Thistle – Alloa Athletic
- (C) Ross County – Dunfermline Athletic
- (D) Clyde – Greenock Morton
- (E) Cowdenbeath – St Mirren
- (E) Edinburgh City – Arbroath
- (F) Annan Athletic – Elgin City
- (F) Queen of the South – St Johnstone
- (G) Cove Rangers – Livingston
- (G) Kelty Hearts – Albion Rovers
- (H) Forfar Athletic – Hamilton Accies
- (H) Stranraer – Dundee
Sunday, July 17
- (D) Bonnyrigg Rose – Hibernian – Premier Sports
Tuesday, July 19
- (A) Dumbarton – Raith Rovers
- (A) Stirling Albion – Aberdeen
- (B) Montrose – Stenhousemuir
- (B) Partick Thistle – Fraserburgh
- (C) Alloa Athletic – Ross County
- (C) East Fife – Buckie Thistle
- (E) Airdrieonians – St Mirren – Premier Sports
- (F) Annan Athletic – Ayr United
- (F) Elgin City – St Johnstone
- (G) Cove Rangers – Kelty Hearts
- (G) Inverness Caley Thistle – Albion Rovers
- (H) Forfar Athletic – Stranraer
- (H) Queen’s Park – Dundee
Wednesday, July 20
- (D) Bonnyrigg Rose – Falkirk
- (D) Hibernian – Greenock Morton
- (E) Edinburgh City – Cowdenbeath
Saturday, July 23
- (A) Stirling Albion – Peterhead
- (B) Kilmarnock – Stenhousemuir
- (B) Partick Thistle – Montrose
- (C) Dunfermline Athletic – Alloa Athletic
- (C) Ross County – East Fife
- (D) Falkirk – Clyde
- (D) Greenock Morton – Bonnyrigg Rose
- (E) Arbroath – Airdrieonians
- (E) St Mirren – Edinburgh City
- (F) Elgin City – Queen of the South
- (F) St Johnstone – Ayr United
- (G) Inverness Caley Thistle – Cove Rangers
- (G) Livingston – Kelty Hearts
- (H) Dundee – Forfar Athletic
- (H) Hamilton Accies – Queen’s Park
Sunday, July 24
- (A) Aberdeen – Raith Rovers – Premier Sports
KNOCKOUT PHASE
Second Round (Aug 30/31)
- Celtic, Rangers, Heart of Midlothian, Dundee United & Motherwell
- Eight group winners
- Three best group runners up
Quarter Finals (Oct 18-20)
Semi Finals (Jan 14/15)
Final (Feb 26)
Scottish Football Fixtures 