The 70th Scottish League Cup competition gets under way on Thursday evening when Heart of Midlothian meet Arbroath at Tynecastle.
Robbie Neilson's men kick off their Ladbrokes Premiership campaign at home to St Johnstone on Sunday - live on BT Sport at 12.30pm - but first take on Todd Lumsden's League 2 side.
Hearts have won the League Cup on four occasions but their most recent triumph was back in 1962/63 and they lost the 2012/13 final to St Mirren.
There are 15 first-round ties over the next few days - the bulk of them on Saturday - with Falkirk up against East Stirlingshire at Broadwood on Friday and Rangers hosting Peterhead on Sunday.
The draw for the second round takes place at Hampden on Monday afternoon, when the 15 first-round winners will be joined in the hat by Dundee, Hamilton Accies, Partick Thistle, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and St Mirren.
Holders Celtic, Aberdeen, Inverness Caley Thistle, St Johnstone and Dundee United enter the competition in round three.
