When do Hearts and Hibs enter the Viaplay Cup and when is the second round draw? Dates & format for 2023/24

The Scottish League Cup group stages kick off tomorrow but the two Edinburgh clubs will not enter the competition until next month.

The 2023/24 Scottish football season kicks off tomorrow with the first competitive matches of the campaign in the group stages of the Scottish League Cup.

Raith Rovers will host Fife rivals Dunfermline Athletic at Stark’s Park with that match kicking off at 5:15pm and being broadcast live by tournament sponsors Viaplay. Before that there will be a full card of action featuring the Scottish Premiership sides who are not competing in UEFA European competitions this season.

Among the fixtures taking place this weekend are Elgin City vs Motherwell, Klimarnock vs Annan Athletic and Montrose vs St Mirren. So, when do Hearts and Hibs enter the competition and when will they learn their opponents? Here is everything you need to know about the format for the 2023/24 Viaplay Cup:

When do Hearts and Hibs enter the Viaplay Cup?

Hearts and Hibs will enter the Viaplay Cup at the second round stage along with Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers. The clubs who qualify for UEFA European competitions get an automatic bye past the group stage and into the first knockout round.

When is the Viaplay Cup second round?

The second round of the 2023/24 Viaplay Cup is currently scheduled to be played on the weekend of August 19/20. This comes after the first two weekends of the Scottish Premiership campaign.

Hearts, Hibs and the three others teams competing in Europe will be seeded for the second round draw along with the three group stage winners with the best overall record. That means there is no chance of an Edinburgh derby in the second round.

When is the draw for the Viaplay Cup second round?

The SPFL have not announced exactly when the draw for the second round of the 2023/24 Viaplay Cup will take place. However, it is likely to be after the conclusion of Dundee vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle on July 30.

That match, which is the final fixture of the group stage, will be broadcast live on Viaplay and kicks off at 3pm so it seems probable the second round draw will take place sometime after 5pm. The five clubs competing in Europe and the three best group winners will be drawn against the other five group winners and the three group runners-up with the best records.

When are the remaining Viaplay Cup rounds?

Here are the key dates for every round of the 2023/24 Viaplay Cup:

• Group stage - July 15 to July 30
• Second round - August 19/20
• Quarter-finals - September 26-28
• Semi-finals - November 4/5
• Final - Sunday December 17