2016–17 Scottish Challenge Cup
The 2016–17 Scottish Challenge Cup, known as the IRN-BRU Cup due to sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of the competition. The tournament took on a different format from previous seasons with a total of 54 teams participating. It was the first season with two clubs from both Northern Ireland and Wales competing alongside the 30 members of the 2016–17 Scottish Championship, 2016–17 Scottish League One and 2016–17 Scottish League Two, four teams from the 2016–17 Highland Football League and four from the 2016–17 Lowland Football League as well as the Under-20 teams of the teams competing in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Teams | 54 |
| Defending champions | Rangers |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Dundee United |
| Runner-up | St Mirren |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 53 |
| Goals scored | 207 (3.91 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Stephen Dobbie (6 goals) |
The defending champions, Rangers, who defeated Peterhead in the 2016 final, did not compete in the competition due to their promotion to the Scottish Premiership. Irn Bru replaced Petrofac as the main sponsor of the competition in June 2016.