Major League Soccer is considering a significant scheduling change that could see the league mirror the European football calendar.
According to a report from The Athletic on Wednesday, the American organization is prioritizing evolution and contemplating moving to a fall-spring season with breaks in the summer and winter.
Additionally, MLS is “weighing the possibility” of organizing teams into divisions instead of conferences.
The significant scheduling change could be implemented after the 2026 FIFA World Cup is completed and would allow MLS to “maximize participation in the global transfer market.”
“We have been engaged, really, since January, and it’s been very extensive and exhaustive and deliberate,” said MLS executive vice president of sporting product and competition, Nelson Rodriguez.
“It’s still too early. We’re still asking questions. We’re still collecting and analyzing some data. We’re still formulating models. Some of those models are for formats themselves, some of those models are how to assess the information that we get.”
Under the proposal, MLS would begin early August and run until mid-December before a winter break. The season would resume in February and run until the spring, with the MLS Cup in late May.
However, before agreeing to a new format, the league is looking outside the boardroom to ensure it is in its best interest. MLS has completed “extensive fan polling” and plans to use player focus groups, including the MLS Players’ Association, to help make decisions.
Changing to a fall-spring season would also have commercial benefits in America. The MLS Cup playoffs currently compete for viewers against the MLB playoffs, the NFL, NBA, and NHL regular seasons, and college sports.
“The playoffs are the most valuable piece of real estate in a league season, and playoffs that would be spring or summer suggests a different dynamic,” Rodriguez said.
“It starts with (the fact that the) weather is closer to optimal for all 30 clubs, your stadium conflicts are a little bit less, competition with other North American sports is different and you’re more aligned with at least the European rhythm of football. So, those are factors. They also come with their own sets of tradeoffs.”
If a switch to a fall-spring season is agreed, the Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup, and Canadian Championship would also need to adjust their calendars. According to the report, the Leagues Cup, in particular, may be held in “January and February with teams in pods in warmer-weather locales like California, Texas, and Florida.”
“We are at a different point in our evolution as a league,” Rodriguez said. “With the World Cup, we have more eyes on us than ever before.”
“And so it has been really rewarding that no one has been territorial, and everyone has been thoughtful and collaborative. I think there’s a recognition that this is the right time to be doing this level of analysis.”
Feature image credit: © Inter Miami CF/MLS Photos via Imagn Images
