How Fixing MLS Could Revolutionize Soccer in America
As Major League Soccer, MLS, adds its 30th member in a couple of years, it brings me both joy and misery. Joy in that soccer is now a stable sport in America, something I would have been unable to say in my childhood. Misery because the folks in charge of our beautiful game is ruining our sport just like every other sport here in America. Due to this, compared to the leagues around the world, our fans are not getting the same experience and we may be short-changing our national team. While it may seem that I am critical of those who run our sport, it is important for me to show my appreciation. I am grateful for the work they put in to make soccer a viable entity. So my criticism is not at anyone specific, if we can call it criticism. Instead, this is my vision how to integrate the world’s game with American sport tradition.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Major League Soccer and every other major soccer league is that they have promotion and relegation. This makes losing even more consequential and makes the bottom of the table more interesting for the average fan and more intriguing for those who cover the sport. But, there is another reason why promotion and relegation is so beneficial. It gives cities that would not normally have a sports franchise a soccer team. As someone who grew up in North Jersey, having a sports franchise near me was akin to a God given right. But for those who are not as fortunate as I was, they must travel for to see a major league sports in person. But in a country as large as ours, there are plenty of metro areas that can sustain a franchise but are never given a chance. Considering that a minor league baseball teams in Dayton and Lehigh Valley have nearly the same attendance as a major league team in Oakland, this means that if the 69th and the 73rd largest metros can sustain a minor league franchise better than one of the cities with a major league city, then there are plenty of metro areas that can be successful as well (Tolentino 2023 and Reichard 2022). This is not even considering that Green Bay falls just out of the top 150 metro areas, yet the Packers are doing just fine. Since so many metro areas have the capability to sustain a franchise, this may seem that I would support MLS to expand.
But with every expansion, it hurts the Supporters’ Shield. In every other major soccer league, winning the league is the most important trophy. While in MLS, the playoff will always come first, the Supporters’ Shield can be taken as a solid achievement if it is legitimate. But if the schedule is unbalanced, then comparing points would be comparing apples to oranges. In every other major soccer league, the schedule is perfectly balance. In MLS, the schedule, which was already unbalanced, gets even worse with each additional team.
While I am typing these words, I can already hear the comments now saying that promotion and relegation will never happen because those who own teams in MLS have so much to lose if they get relegated. However, I may have found a way to ensure that those who do get relegated do not lose too much and those companies who broadcast sports and need inventory are able to satisfy their needs. Simultaneously, this new system will give more legitimacy to the Supporters’ Shield and give more cities their own major sport franchises.
What this proposal is that we will have 4 tiers of soccer. I will call them MLS A, MLS B, MLC C, and MLS D, with MLS A being the top level and MLS D being the lowest level. (The names should be taken as placeholders can be easily be changed). Each league will have 16 teams wherein each team will play each other twice, just like every other major soccer league. There will be promotion and relegation between the leagues, but each league can reach the playoffs. MLS A would send 6 teams, MLS B would send 4 teams, MLS C would send 2.5 teams, and MLS D would send 1.5 teams, the .5 would mean there will be a play-in game between a team from MLS C and D. So even if a team were to get relegated from MLS A, they will still have a chance to win the playoffs. This increased the value of the lower leagues and since each league has fewer teams and a balance schedule, the Supporters’ Shield would be more legitimate. In the first round of playoffs, the media can speculate on the David vs Goliath games and the top teams in MLS A will get a bye. Having the playoff connected to each league within its media rights can protect an owner’s investment and expand the game. It can also help the national team.
Would it be better for 30 to 32 professional teams to scout for players or 64? Now, let us put the 64 teams in locations that tend to be more geographically isolated and you have created a better scouting network for players that can play for the USA men’s national team. Not only that, but in the smaller markets, there will be fewer competition that these soccer franchises will have against other professional teams, therefore the sport will increase in popularity. If you now have a professional MLS team, a minor league baseball team, and a minor league hockey team, which team will get the most attention; particularly if your town goes on a Cinderella run?
Again, I do not wish to seem like I am criticizing those in our sport’s hierarchy. Instead, I am hopeful that aspects of our vision may be brought to their attention which will only elevate our sport. This vision should not be rigid in nature, but a general outline. Perhaps MLS D can be split by geography where we can add another 16 teams/cities to the fold. Or, if those around the game can add additional insights to our vision based on their wisdom, we hope they may run with this plan. In three years, we will be home to the greatest sporting event in the world by the greatest sport in the world. I hope by the time the World Cup comes for a 3rd time, sometime in the future, we have the greatest league, the greatest national team, and the greatest structure for our beautiful game.
