I think they would likely have two Conferences of three 5-team divisions each. Then they would be able to play every team in their division twice and every team in every other division once with one extra game and still keep to a 34-game schedule. You can keep a 34-game schedule up to 32 teams before you have to start have teams not play each other for a season.
Or you just seed the top teams from the 3 conferences based on points at the end of the season. That would be a fair.
Pacific Conference 1 Seattle Sounders 2 Portland Timbers 3 Vancouver whitecaps 4 Phoenix 5 LA Galaxy 6 LAFC 7 San Jose Earthquakes 8 Sacramento Republic 9 Real Salt Lake 10 San Diego American Conference 1 St. Louis 2 Chicago Fire 3 Minnesota United 4 Colorado Rapids 5 FC Dallas 6 Columbus Crew 7 Cincinatti 8 San Antonio 9 Houston Dynamo 10 Sporting Kansas City Atlantic Conference 1 Toronto 2 Orlando City 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 4 DC United 5 Philadelphia Union 6 Red Bulls 7 New York City 8 New England Revolution 9 Montreal Impact 10 Atlanta United
I just don't see three conferences. It creates more problems than it solves. all of which were covered earlier in this thread.
I agree. It will remain two conferences. Those conferences will be subdivided into two (NHL), three (MLB & NBA), or four (NFL) divisions. This allows the two conference champions, determined via playoffs, to meet in the league championship. Why would MLS diverge from the traditional American league structure at this point?
IF the league goes to 30 teams, we'll see 6 divisions. If it stays at 28, we'll see 4 divisions. EAST: New England, NYCFC, Red Bulls, Philadelphia, DC United, Miami. Orlando CENTRAL: Toronto FC, Montreal, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta SOUTHWEST: Houston, Dallas, San Diego, LA Galaxy, LAFC, San Jose, Sacramento NORTHWEST: Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas City
30 teams/6 divisions NORTHEAST: Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati ATLANTIC: New England, NYCFC, Red Bulls, Philadelphia, DC United CENTRAL: Minnesota, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indy SOUTHEAST: Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Houston, Dallas PACIFIC: San Jose, Sacramento, LAFC, LA Galaxy, San Diego NORTHWEST: Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Utah, Colorado
Who knows what fantasy might become reality? Just 5 years ago we were talking about who would get the 20th and final spot in MLS. What's to keep Garber from saying, "Well, we had so many good, strong candidates that we felt limiting ourselves to 28 would be a disservice to those cities not picked. The Board has decided to expand to 30 teams instead of 28 to accommodate them. We will freeze at this size for now and reassess if further expansion is required at a later date."
Because limiting supply drives up price. I'd be very surprised if Garber begins talking about any further expansion whatsoever beyond 28 teams until the suckers; um, the successful candidate cities for expansion slots 25, 26, 27 and 28, come aboard and have paid the extortion; um, expansion fee in full. I presume that there will be one further expansion slot available expansion slot no. 24 because Beckham United can't get its act together in Miami. All the more reason for Garber to stifle talk of further expansion past 28 teams.
I have a feeling the freeze will only last as long as it takes for them to cash the checks from 27 and 28.
Well if the players matter then it will stop at 28. The players do not want more than 28 teams. I think less than 5% said more than 28 teams is good and I think it was most said 26 teams was the best number.
You think what the players want ever plays into this? The owners want more teams they'll get more teams. They can always find players to fill them.
I assume you mean they are unsustainable. And to answer your question, there's a bunch of reasons. The fees might not be sustainable long term, but they help give an immediate payout which covers losses owners have sustained for years in MLS. And while expansion dilutes the share of media rights a team gets, the hope is that it increases the pie enough to overcome that. MLS still gets paltry TV ratings, and part of that could be that it's only in 2/3 the markets of the other major American leagues. Having more MLS cities hopefully creates more fans with a direct interest in MLS. More teams also will likely result in more regionalized play and thus cheaper travel costs. Also more rivalry games which hopefully boost attendance and TV ratings. And it also helps grow the sport in the US in general. More teams means more investors, more academies. Which could improve the USMNT down the line. Owners might be thinking that if the USMNT ever wins the World Cup on the basis of MLS homegrown developed talent that interest in the league will skyrocket. And that's more likely to happen with more teams and academies developing players than fewer.
Bottom line is that as long as expansion increases the value of the league, MLS owners will look to expand.
No but they're a nice bonus for the existing owners. And they've got 12 cities lined up to pay them. Never mind the increase in national footprint having more teams gives them and the added exposure and revnues that come with that (provided they add the right markets).
I'm not as bullish on TV being the cash cow it was once. I just don't see us going beyond 28 anytime soon, if at all.
I agree that TV is dwindling, but sport events are the one event that seems to be immune to time-shifting and soccer is a growing market. MLS is a relatively cheap league to get TV rights for compared to the other major leagues and the MLS footprint is expanding. Since the current MLS TV Contract goes until 2022, I expect an expansion announcement about the availability of slots 29-32 to be announced around that time. An announcement for expansion slots 33-36 will probably happen at the end of that 2023 contract, say, 2031.
Just had a thought. Maybe MLS should strike in smaller markets while the iron is hot and has willing/able owner to pay expansion fees. Then they can focus on larger cities who have a bigger pool of potentially willing/able owners to spend even more $ for future expansion slots. Thinking Sacramento & Cinccinnati- they are ready to go and have all ducks in a row. Take their $$ now. Detroit & San Diego are quite ready but will eventually want in and have deep pockets to get in at higher price. If MLS passes on Sacramento for 1 of next 3 slots, I think they fade off into the sunset and never happen.
I wouldn't go that far. The other leagues have found that the ceiling is somewhere in the 30-32 range. Even the vaunted NFL hasn't expanded beyond that. I don't expect MLS to pass the Big 4 in number of teams. By the end of the next TV contract (the 2023 contract) I don't expect traditional TV as we know it will be around anymore.