Report: MLS Set to Vote on Major Changes to Schedule and Playoff Format
Could Major League Soccer shift to a fall-spring calendar?
According to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert and Paul Terino, Major League Soccer owners will vote on measures that could implement a change to the MLS schedule and playoff format.
The headliner for Thursday’s votes revolves around the ongoing idea of shifting Major League Soccer to a fall-spring calendar format that emulates the top leagues in Europe.
Proponents of the move argue that a shift to a fall-spring schedule would better align the MLS schedule with the primary and secondary transfer windows of top leagues around the world. Something that would benefit buying and selling players, as it allows clubs to take full advantage of free transfers while fully maximizing the value of their players.
A proposed calendar change could see the MLS Cup Playoffs moved to May. Something that favors the league, as it wouldn’t go head-to-head against things like college football and the NFL. More importantly, the playoffs wouldn’t clash with the FIFA international window, allowing players to represent their nations without the fear of being unavailable for their club.
While the plan does have some upsides, the biggest concern revolves around clubs who play in colder climates, such as the New England Revolution. A proposed change could see the MLS regular season start in July or August and run through April.
While a winter break would come around the December mark, there is concern over how environmental elements in some markets across the league could impact things.
Many owners in MLS reportedly showed interest in having the new format kick off the 2026 season, but now the focus appears to be 2027. MLS is nearing the deadline for when it must decide to flip the calendar if it expects to make the changes in time for the 2027 season according to the report.
It remains uncertain whether this measure will pass a vote, and more importantly, when that change would take place if it were to pass.
A calendar change isn’t the only thing on Thursday’s ballot. According to Bogert and Terino, the league will also look into changing the regular season and playoff format.
According to the duo, the plan would be to move MLS to a “single-table” format while eliminating conferences and implementing five divisions.
Each division would be established geographically, with each team in the division playing against each other home and away. Clubs would play every non-division club once (either home or away) to total 34 games a season.
At the end of the regular season, the five clubs at the top of each division would automatically qualify for the playoffs.
Unlike the calendar change, a lot remains undecided when it comes to the potential playoff format change.