The 2016–17 Scottish League Cup group stage was played from 15 July to 31 July 2016. A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage. The winners of each of the 8 groups, as well as the 4 best runners-up progressed to the Second round (last 16) of the 2016–17 Scottish League Cup.
Contents
Format
The group stage is made up of 9 teams from the 2015–16 Scottish Premiership, 9 from the 2015–16 Scottish Championship, 10 from each of the 2015–16 Scottish League One and 2015–16 Scottish League Two, as well as the winners of the 2015–16 Highland Football League and 2015–16 Lowland Football League, and will see these 40 teams divided into two sections: 4 groups of 20 teams from the North section and 4 groups of 20 teams from the South sections. Each section comprises four top seeded teams, four second seeded teams and 12 unseeded teams, with each group being made up of 1 top seed, 1 second seed and 3 unseeded sides. The draw for the group stages took place on 27 May 2016 at 7:30pm BST at the BT Sport Studio in London and was shown live on BT Sport Europe.
Teams
Teams in Bold qualified for the second round
Group A
Group A consists of two seeded teams: Dundee and Dumbarton; and three unseeded teams: Peterhead, Forfar Athletic and East Fife.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group B
Group B consists of two seeded teams: St Johnstone and Falkirk; and three unseeded teams: Brechin City, Stirling Albion and Elgin City.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group C
Group C consists of two seeded teams: Inverness CT and Dundee United; and three unseeded teams: Dunfermline Athletic, Arbroath and Cowdenbeath.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group D
Group D consists of two seeded teams: Ross County and Raith Rovers; and three unseeded teams: Alloa Athletic, Cove Rangers and Montrose.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group E
Group E consists of two seeded teams: Partick Thistle and Queen of the South; and three unseeded teams: Stenhousemuir, Queen's Park and Airdrieonians.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group F
Group F consists of two seeded teams: Motherwell and Rangers; and three unseeded teams: Stranraer, East Stirlingshire and Annan Athletic.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group G
Group G consists of two seeded teams: Hamilton Academical and St Mirren; and three unseeded teams: Edinburgh City, Livingston and Ayr United.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).
Group H
Group H consists of two seeded teams: Kilmarnock and Morton; and three unseeded teams: Clyde, Albion Rovers and Berwick Rangers.
Matches
All times are BST (UTC+1).