WASHINGTON — Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber is not drawing such a hard line in the sand anymore when it comes to the concept of promotion/relegation.
“Back in the day, I would say ‘never,'” Garber said during his state of the league address at Audi Field on Thursday night. “Today, we say there’s no real point in saying never because I don’t know what the future would look like. I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar.”
Do not expect it any time soon, as the North American soccer system lacks the talent depth and proper organization to create concrete tiers that would ensure the survival of teams moving between different divisions.
Under the second division, the 24-team USL Championship, the third tier of North American soccer includes MLS NEXT Pro, which is largely comprised of academy teams for professional clubs, and USL League One, established in 2019, featuring 14 teams.
“Maybe as the development of the lower divisions continues to grow, as they’ve been doing so well over the years, there will be a proper ecosystem. I’m not sure,” Garber said. “Frankly, I don’t believe that ecosystem can exist today, but who knows? I’ve learned never say never. That doesn’t mean we’re having promotion/relegation anytime soon.”
If the growth of the league over its first 30 seasons is any indication, though, promotion/relegation could very much be in the cards. Major League Soccer is now the sixth-most popular soccer league in the world behind the behemoths in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France.
The league’s combined attendance of 12 million last year ranked second in the world and is becoming a more attractive option for top international stars, as evidenced by the arrivals of Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Son Heung-min (LAFC), and Thomas Mueller (Vancouver).
MLS announced in November that it would change its schedule beginning in 2027, moving from a February-to-December format to an August-to-May system, which mirrors the other major top-flight leagues in Europe.
“It’s going to make Major League Soccer better because you can [transfer] players quickly and move them around the world,” US soccer legend Cobi Jones said. “You can get some top talent that may want to come here during a certain window, and this puts you on the right timeline.”
It seems like the next logical order of business would be to fortify the North American pyramid and provide one of the most exciting ultimata in sports: Win and stay up, lose, and you’re gone.
