Dundee and Dundee United now know who, if not exactly where and when, they’ll be playing when the group stages of the Betfred Cup kick off in mid-July.
And while they will fancy their chances of making it through to the knockout stages, both know they’ll have to be on their mettle right from the first kick of the new season.
The Dark Blues will be strong favourites to win Group D, that sees them alongside Dunfermline, Stirling Albion, Brechin City and Peterhead.
Recent history, however, will tell them there are a couple of potential banana skins in there.
Two years ago a miserable Betfred campaign saw them go down to Jim McInally’s Peterhead up at Balmoor.
They didn’t get out of the group and it was a blow from which then manager Paul Hartley never really recovered as he was sacked before the end of the season.
The campaign before, prior to the group format being introduced, they travelled to East End Park to face a Pars side that, being in League One, was not expected to provide too stern a test.
They did and Hartley’s men crashed out 3-1 on another disappointing knockout night.
For United, their big test with what will be a new-look side is to overcome new Championship promotion rivals Ross County.
That clash will give them not just an early indication of how they are gelling but just how strong the Staggies are likely to be in the coming league campaign.
The pair have been placed in Group A along with Arbroath, Elgin City and Alloa Athletic.
It’s likely to mean at least one long road trip to either Dingwall or Elgin.
With County dropping down from the top flight and Alloa winning promotion from League One it also throws up the strange scenario of three Championship teams in the same group.
The clash with Arbroath will also be a repeat of the first-ever of the new-look groups that saw United draw at Gayfield and then create another first by winning a bonus point from the penalty shoot-out at the end of the 90 minutes.
Elsewhere in the competition, John Robertson has been handed a return to Tynecastle in the Betfred Cup group stages.
The former Hearts manager and all-time leading goalscorer will take his Inverness side to Gorgie after the teams were paired together in the draw.
Raith Rovers join them in Group C, which also throws up a swift rematch between Cowdenbeath and Highland League champions Cove Rangers following their bad-tempered play-off encounter.
Recent winners Kilmarnock and St Mirren will face each other at Rugby Park. Newly-promoted St Mirren, who replaced Killie as the holders in 2013, went into the draw as second seeds and will also take on Dumbarton, Queen’s Park and Spartans.
The other all-Premiership tie will see Hamilton take on Livingston in a group that also includes Accies’ Lanarkshire rivals, Airdrie, along with Annan and Berwick.
Last season’s runners-up Motherwell will take on Queen of the South, Clyde, Edinburgh City and Stranraer while St Johnstone were pulled out of the hat along with Falkirk, Montrose, East Fife and Forfar. The group games take place over three weekends and two midweeks starting on July 14.
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