Western Conference
| |
| Pacific | GP | W | L | GF | GA | P |
| *Seattle | 14 | 10 | 4 | 23 | 10 | 26 |
| *California | 12 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 18 | 21 |
| Colorado | 11 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 22 | 19 |
| Orange Cty. | 10 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 15 |
| El Paso | 14 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 23 | 5 |
| Central | GP | W | L | GF | GA | P |
| *New Orleans | 12 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 16 |
| *Orlando | 11 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 15 | 15 |
| Nashville | 11 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Atlanta | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 11 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Milwaukee | 10 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 7 |
Eastern Conference | |
| Northeast | GP | W | L | GF | GA | P |
| *Rochester | 9 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 14 | 21 |
| *Long Island | 11 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 11 | 14 |
| Worcester | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 9 |
| Connecticut | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 |
| Atlantic | GP | W | L | GF | GA | P |
| *Hershey | 14 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 12 | 28 |
| *Richmond | 14 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 14 | 24 |
| Carolina | 13 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 16 |
| Charleston | 11 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 27 | 9 |
| Raleigh | 14 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 24 | 9 |
| Jacksonville | 14 | 2 | 12 | 15 | 33 | 6 |
*-clinched spot in 1997 U.S. Open Cup. Note: The three Canadian A-League teams are ineligible for the U.S. Open Cup. Qualifying ends through games of June 15, when top two teams in each division qualify for U.S. Open Cup. To qualify, teams must play the minimum number of games required for their division (Northeast — 9 games; Atlantic — 11 games; Central and Pacific — 10 games). Tiebreakers are: 1) head-to-head competition, 2) points versus common opponents, 3) average number of goals for per game, 4) goal differential, 5) A-League Commissioner’s arbitration panel decision.
