Flint City Bucks bring global talent — and the U.S. Open Cup — to Genesee County

FLINT, Michigan — The Flint City Bucks are one of those teams you hear about every summer — a packed night at Atwood Stadium, a winning record, players coming through town from across the country and around the world.

But at 6:30 PM on March 19, at Don Batchelor Stadium in Grand Blanc, the Bucks will step into something larger. For the first time, Genesee County will host a match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, one of the oldest soccer tournaments in the United States. The Open Cup is often described as a David-versus-Goliath tournament, where underdogs meet fully professional clubs in meaningful competition.

That storyline is fitting this year. The Bucks, a pre-professional powerhouse, will face a fully professional team from Madison, Wisconsin.

To understand what that moment means for Flint — and why players from across the globe continue to choose the Bucks — Flintside sat down with Costa Papista, president of the Flint City Bucks, to talk about the team’s history, its international roster, and the opportunity the Open Cup brings to the region.

Flintside: For readers who may not know the Bucks yet, can you start with the basics — where did the team come from?

Costa Papista: “The Bucks started in 1996 in Saginaw. They were there for about ten years, then moved to Pontiac for about twelve years. This will be year number eight in Flint. The franchise has a great reputation across the country as one of the top pre-professional soccer franchises. We’re number one in sending players to Major League Soccer through the draft and free-agent contracts. We’ve won four national championships. The fourth one was here in Flint in 2019. We’ve also won 17 division championships and 11 conference championships. Out of 29 seasons, we’ve only missed the playoffs three times. So the team has a real track record of winning.”

Flintside: What draws players from Ireland, Liberia, Canada, Ghana, and others around the world to come to Flint to play?

C. Papista: “We treat the players like professionals. They all live together downtown at Riverfront, and they love it. We take them to the farmers’ market throughout the summer, and they’re constantly being fed. They love being part of the community. What the players give to the kids and the community, they get back. The supporters, the fans, the sponsors — everyone is part of that. It really feels like a family.”

Flintside: What makes the soccer environment in Flint unique for players?

C. Papista: “The training environment is very intense. When players come here, a lot of them are the best player on their college team, maybe even the captain. When they come here, everyone is the best player. So they have to compete. It’s really important that everyone buys into the idea that we’re putting the team first. When the team does well, everyone does well and gets the exposure they need for the next level.”

Flintside: Flint and Genesee County are hosting, and the Bucks will be playing in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. What is the significance of all this?

C. Papista: “We’re super excited. It’s the first time the Open Cup has come to Genesee County. It’s a great opportunity for the local community to get a taste of this tournament — which is very historic. The tournament’s been around for 111 years, and in the soccer world, it’s probably the most prestigious tournament in the United States. I really can’t wait for March 19 to get here. It’s a national stage, and I think we can really showcase what we’ve got going on here. The soccer community in Genesee County is growing, and it’s filled with great people. Everyone’s pulling in the same direction to grow the sport here in Genesee County and really across mid-Michigan.”

Flintside: What does it mean to host a match in the tournament?

C. Papista: “I think it’s an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for us, in our own small way, to shape the narrative a little bit. This is really a beautiful community, and we get a chance to show it off. The stadium in Grand Blanc is a showpiece. It was built in 2023, and it’s beautiful, and it was a major investment. There are a lot of things we can show off to our out-of-town guests.”

Flintside: This game will be played at Don Batchelor Stadium in Grand Blanc instead of Atwood Stadium. Why was that decision made?

C. Papista: “Atwood is our home stadium, but it was built in 1929. Because of the older infrastructure, it has to remain winterized until April. We didn’t want to miss the opportunity to host the first round. Don Batchelor Stadium meets all of U.S. Soccer’s requirements, and we’re very lucky to have a facility like that. Atwood is impressive, and the new stadium in Grand Blanc is impressive, too. They’re both beautiful in their own way — one is historic, and one is modern.”

Flintside: The Open Cup is known for underdog stories. What kind of challenge does this matchup present?

C. Papista: “It is a David-versus-Goliath tournament. In the first round, we’re playing a fully professional team from Madison, Wisconsin. We are the underdogs going into it. But that’s the appeal of the tournament. Our players are top college players who all want to be professionals, so this is a great opportunity for them to put their best foot forward. If we do well, everyone gets noticed.”

Flintside: It’s winter time, and it gets cold in Michigan. What are some challenges the team is facing?

C. Papista: “When the Bucks played in the Open Cup in the past, the tournament started in May. Our team was fully assembled and training together. Now the tournament starts in March. Our players are still playing for their colleges in the spring season, so we’re flying guys in from all over, and we’re not really training together beforehand. That makes it a little more of an uphill climb, but we feel good about the players we’re bringing in. I don’t know what the result will be, but I think it will be a very competitive game.”

Flintside: What does hosting this match mean for the county if the Bucks advance?

C. Papista: “Even hosting the first round will bring attention to Flint and Genesee County. If we win, it just brings more attention. When we won the national championship in 2019, thousands of people came from out of town for that game. This might not be exactly the same scale, but it’s along those lines. Soccer people know that Flint is hosting an Open Cup game. There will be people traveling in for it, including fans from Madison. I do think there will be an economic benefit.”

Flintside: Finally, what are you looking forward to when game day arrives?

C. Papista: “It’s going to be a great day for all of us. The only two things we can’t control are the result of the game and the weather. But people will bundle up and come out. I think it will be a great experience for the community. And it’s a chance for Flint to be part of something that’s been a tradition in American soccer for more than a century.”

To learn more about the Flint City Bucks and to purchase tickets for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, you can visit their website.