At a recent meeting held in Palm Beach, Florida, MLS team owners approved a significant alteration to the league’s operating schedule, marking a pivotal shift meant to align MLS more closely with premier soccer leagues in Europe. This revised framework will see the regular season kick off in mid-July and extend through April of the subsequent year, with playoff matches occurring in May starting in 2027.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber expressed his satisfaction with the decision during a post-meeting press conference, noting the overwhelming enthusiasm for the change. “The support for this move exceeded my expectations,” he stated.
This calendar shift is a strategic victory for the league, particularly in terms of competitiveness. The existing schedule limited teams’ flexibility in the global player transfer market. With the January transfer window being less active than the summer one, teams faced challenges when dealing with lucrative offers for players. The current structure often sends the wrong message to the fans, especially when a team is in the midst of a playoff push and has to let go of a star player. As the quality of talent in MLS improves, the league confronts the issue of losing players to international competitions that traditionally occur during the summer months.
Moreover, moving the playoffs to May allows MLS to sidestep the overwhelming distractions of NFL and college football, which tend to overshadow its key matches in the fall months. Garber pointed out that a remarkable 92% of MLS fans were in favor of this shift to align with the international calendar.
Despite the calendar revamp, Garber emphasized that the number of games won’t witness drastic changes; approximately 91% of the matches under the new format will remain within the existing scheduling framework of MLS.
The new schedule includes a winter break during December and January, with precautions taken to limit the number of winter home games in frigid markets such as Minnesota, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Teams in these colder regions will need to invest significantly in their facilities to ensure they can accommodate fans and players during the harshest winter months.
Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire voiced strong opposition to the decision, highlighting the potential negative effects on sponsors and fans. “It’s a terrible decision, and we would not want to do it,” he told Sportico in a January interview.
Other team owners have echoed similar sentiments, expressing concerns about how the new calendar could impact season ticket sales and the overall fan experience.
Despite these reservations, the New England Revolution issued a statement supporting the calendar transition, emphasizing the league’s capacity to attract top talent during the transfer window and highlighting proactive measures to mitigate the impact on teams based in colder climates.
This is not the first time MLS has considered aligning its schedule with the FIFA calendar; the league examined this option in 2015 but ultimately decided against it, primarily due to concerns from teams in cold-weather markets. Since then, the league has expanded to include teams in warmer cities like Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Diego, balancing its geographical representation.
In conclusion, the upcoming schedule adjustment represents a significant evolution for MLS, promoting alignment with global soccer practices while addressing long-standing issues related to player transfers and competition. As the league gears up for this ambitious change, teams and fans alike will adapt to a new era in American soccer.
