Hey, The other thread closed before I could get my prediction in. I am basing my prediction off of the idea of building on historic numbers. 10 years ago: (2004) Ave. Attendance: 15,559 Salary Cap: $1.7 M, no DPs Teams: 10 TV Deal: $0.00 CONCACAF CL Results: NA 5 years ago: (2009) Ave. Attendance: 16,037 Salary Cap: $2.3 M, 2 DPs Teams: 15 TV Deal: $8M CONCACAF CL Results: 2 MLS teams made the Championship Knockout Rounds Dynamo - Quarterfinals Impact - Quarterfinals --------------------------------------- Now: (2013/2014) Ave. Attendance: 18,608 (growth of about 2% every year) Salary Cap: $3.1 M, 3 DPs (growth of about $1M every 5 years and 1 additional DP) Teams: 19 (steady growth since 04) TV Deal: $37M CONCACAF CL Results: 3 MLS teams made the Championship Knockout Rounds Galaxy - Quarterfinals SKC - Quarterfinals Earthquakes - Quarterfinals -------------------------------------------- 5 years (2019) Ave. Attendance: 20,500 Salary Cap: $4M, 4 DPs Teams: 24 TV Deals: $100M including international and Spanish TV CONCACAF CL Results: 1 MLS regularly makes the semis and occasionally reaches the final 10 years (2024) Ave Attendance: 22,550 Salary Cap: $5M, 5 DPs Teams: 28 (MLS reaches critical mass) TV Deals: $200M CONCACAF CL Results: 2 MLS teams regularly make the semis and a MLS team wins 15 years (2029) Ave Attendance: 40,000 (new stadiums built) Salary Cap: $10M, 2 Super DPs allowed Teams: 30 TV Deals: $400M CONCACAF CL Results: 3 MLS teams make the semis and an all MLS final.
5 years (2019) Ave. Attendance: 20,000 Salary Cap: $6M, Clubs sign and pay full freight for up to 5 DPs and 1 franchise player (DPs and franchise players do not counts against the cap) Teams: 24 TV Deals: $100M including international and Spanish TV CONCACAF CL Results: 1 MLS club win; 2 runners up 10 years (2024) Ave Attendance: 22,000 Salary Cap: $7.5M ($2019), same DP/franchise player rules Teams: 28 (MLS reaches critical mass) TV Deals: $150M CONCACAF CL Results: 2 MLS clubs win the CL between 2020 and 2024. 15 years (2029) Ave Attendance: 25,000 (new stadiums built) Salary Cap: $10M, single entity abolished; $9M ($2019); various loopholes to sign players who do not count against the cap Teams: 32 (MLS splits into MLS1 and MLS2 - a limited form of pro-rel TV Deals: $300M CONCACAF CL Results: 2 MLS clubs win the CL between 2025 and 2029.
Two posts in and we have our first Promotion/Relegation nonsense. Awesome. Godwin's Law applied to "You Be the Don": "As every online discussion in 'You Be the Don' grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Promotion/Relegation approaches one." Surprised we hit it at post 2, though. Edit: But for the promotion/relegation crap, I largely agree with Revolt's assessment of 2029, although I doubt there will be a $300 million tv deal (but let's hope so).
15 years in- Beckham gets what he wants - No salary cap, teams get angry and start spending money like politicians in re-election year. Utter chaos happens Seattle-Portland-Vancouver merge into The Cascadia Wild LA denies Chivas's attempt to merge, Chivas USA folds. LA and SJ merge into The Galactic Earthquakes Dallas and Houston merge into The BBB- Burn Baby Burn RSL demands a salary cap to keep their small town feel or they quit. RSL folds SKC, Colorado, Chicago, and Columbus merge into The Midwest Sporting Crew Montreal and Toronto merge into The CUE- Canada United Eh Orlando and Miami merge into Beckham United NYCFC buy out NY and take and remodel their stadium and continue the tradition of NY teams that aren't really in NY. At the thought of actually investing into the team Robert Kraft sells the Revolution to DC for Tom Brady trading cards. DC never gets a stadium and merges with the Union and they become The Union of Mediocrity So the West- Cascadia Wild, Galactic Earthquakes, BBB, and The Midwest Sporting Crew The East- Canada United Eh, Beckham United, NYCFC, and The Union of Mediocrity No salary cap, eurosnobs jizz themselves to death as the MLS becomes the global ultimate league and stars from everywhere start flooding the U.S.. Mexico goes into a deep depression. Of course 15 years in I expect teleportation so fans of old teams can tele to the new 100k stadiums of their regional empires. One can dream right?