I put the same kind of idea in a NASL forum. If NASL wants to be different, they should go to single table, no cap, no franchise system. Be the opposite of MLS. The fans can choose what they really want. Do they really want a protected MLS league or a European type league. If NASL can get enough teams, maybe 40. They can have pro/reg for NASL I and NASL II. What would you pick?
I couldn't care less about relegation (pointless and dumb idea) or single table (playoffs are fun, I like them) and franchises are fine by me (preferred actually) but I'd take no cap and do think a European schedule would be better (because it puts the playoffs in the spring where they'd have less competition).
The league is expanding because there is scope for expansion, and investors are putting up money. There is no mystery here. Single-entity, if nothing else, will ensure that expansion continues apace.
Get over it, you know what I meant and I have given the reason quite clearly multiple times... GET THE PLAYOFFS AWAY FROM FOOTBALL. GET THE PLAYOFFS AWAY FROM FOOTBALL. Its got NOTHING to do with being European....NOTHING....its about GETTING THE PLAYOFFS AWAY FROM FOOTBALL Should I repeat it again for you? Let me know when Norway's soccer league most important events compete directly against the most popular sports league that has ever existed on planet Earth and you might actually have a point.
Norway's soccer league competes directly against the most popular sport that has ever existed on planet Earth - soccer. I wouldn't like to be in the same timezone as the BPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A or Ligue 1.
What's wrong with playoffs? They're a staple of the entire hemisphere. You know...the people MLS are trying to lure to their stadiums?
Nothing is wrong with playoffs, what is wrong is playing them head to head vs. the NFL. That is about the worst possible decision a league could make.
Which is why it would make sense for them to play on a different schedule. It makes no sense for MLS to go head to head with the NFL.
If I were soccer dictator for a day, I would take a few of NASL best markets and bring them to MLS (most likely SA, Indy, Min, or maybe Carolina) . There are also a few new markets that are still out there to be taken (MIA if Becks can get it going), maybe Detroit, Hartford, Sacramento from USL. The remaining NASL teams actually fit well into USL. I would like to see a merge of PDL + NPSL into a true regional support league. You could also enhance this league by having all MLS teams place a U23 team into it. The end result is= MLS 32 teams. (I just don't seeing Don stopping at 24) USL (MLS reserves + other markets. Probably causes USL to be more than 32 teams) PDL/NPSL (MLS u23 squads + other markets) I figure 16 conferences around the county geographically . set to be bus travel distance to create rivals and keep travel expenses down) NCAA= you could make a case if NCAA spread soccer out over a whole school year, its almost like yet another 'league' that covers the whole country with mulitple divisions. ---------- Truth is, excluding the NCAA idea, a 3 tiered league is more than enough for this country. Maybe someday, MLS breaks into a MLS-1 & MLS-2 and tries pro/rel within the confines of single entity/revenue sharing. But I can see these 3 leagues alone having close to 200 teams and I think that is a pretty large national footprint for soccer. My idea is to let each of the 3 leagues manage themselves, although from a marketing and footprint, its too bad we couldn't have simply MLS-1 , 2 & 3. Sad truth is, with teams in USA and Canada, NASL would actually be a better name for describing a league covering 2 large countries !
At least there is time to get them on TV with our partners. Switching the schedule to have them in May is a worse idea as there are no dates there.
I thought the NASL didn't have a cap. They're not single table but otherwise they're the closest to your model.
But to do that, wouldn't they have to play a winter schedule? The loss in attendance from that would certainly overshadow whatever gains they would achieve in the playoffs.
MLS is not expanding because of NASL, its expanding because of international leagues. If you are a basketball fan in St. Louis, you will probably still watch the NBA. Its not local, but its has the worlds best players in that sport. You will not decided to watch Euroleague basketball. Same can be said for out of market football, baseball, and hockey fans. Soccer is different. If you are a soccer fan in St. Louis, you will most likely ignore MLS and just watch international super clubs. Other US leagues do not NEED to be in every major league market and still obtain huge market share of national fans because there are zero international competitors. MLS sees these markets as soccer markets (or potential soccer markets) not as potential NASL or rival league markets.
I agree with that point. I don't want MLB or MLS to become winter sports. I watch MLS, NFL, and NCAA Football, and I probably won't watch the MLS playoffs any less than if they had no other sports at the same time.
Yeah because MLB and MLS are exactly the same.... That said, look at the MLB playoff schedule, they do in fact attempt to avoid the NFL as much as possible. World Series Game 1 on a Tuesday, Game 7 on a Wednesday ALCS Game 1 on Friday NLCS Game 1 on Saturday Most of their Sunday games are in the evening up against 1 NFL game so it was quite easy to head to your local pub and watch both if you were so inclined. When will MLS Cup be played? Oh right smack dab in the middle of Sunday NFL doubleheader coverage so that even a sports bar won't have a TV with the game on? Brilliant.
Not if they'd have planned for it and put roofs on their northern stadiums. A competitor could plan for it. It doesn't matter, MLS has chosen its schedule, I believe they are foolish to put their main event in November on Sunday vs. the NFL and because of it MLS Cup will never even reach novelty status. Others disagree. All I know is that even if the Sounders make it to MLS Cup I'll be watching the NFL and if you can't get me to watch (someone who takes the time to post to a soccer message board) when my team is playing in the event how are you gonna draw an even more casual fan?
We need to compare MLS to college football not to other pro leagues. MLS is like the power conferences in college football. You have the mid-majors (NASL) and Division II (USL-Pro) but they aren't a threat. Sure you might pluck a couple during the next tv negotiation but only if it makes sense. You aren't worried about them at all. MLS is like the power conferences because just like the power conferences hold sway and power over the NCAA, MLS holds sway and power over US Soccer. MLS is sanctioned as Division 1. US Soccer will do what MLS wants. NASL can't compete with that. MLS is like college football because people understand the quality is not the top level but the stadium experience, player effort and fan culture make up for it. MLS realizes it needs more markets for people to engage in this participatory experience. Only then will they tune into a game of two neutrals. So if MLS is like college football we can eventually expect a ~48 team league with 4 regional conferences taking up most of the games. NASL may have a Boise that might move up but only because MLS wants it. Not because it views NASL as a threat.
Really? A competitor will spend $350m to $500m domed or retractable roof "northern city" stadiums and have their entire seasons go head to head with the NBA and NHL and the first 2/3rds against the NFL along with teams in this league outspending MLS because there's no salary cap? I don't think there are enough billionaires in the world that are that reckless
Not yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the next round of MLS stadiums show in that range. Right now, for the first round of stadiums, $200 million seems to be the ceiling as for what everyone is willing to pay. However, should MLS continue to grow, we're going to see some bigger and better stadiums put up in 20-30 years. For what it's worth, when I was putting up this thread, I didn't think NASL necessarily would be the league that could threaten MLS, but rather some as yet to be founded league. There have been some good discussions, but I'm betting MLS doesn't stop expanding really until they reach 32 teams. At that point, then we'll see what happens, and MLS will have to figure out what to do from there.
Yeah, they could tell teams that when/if they build new stadiums to include a roof like MLS should have done. Adding a roof should have always been planned. I'd rather go agains NBA/NHL than NBA/NHL playoffs, MLB, and NFL and its not close. Keep enjoying the .9 (at best) rating for the MLS Cup.
Because MLS is mainly a gate receipts league DESPITE having fairly wealthy ownership, the idea that some random league will come about and really challenge it is silly in the short and median term. It's all about TV, and the Premier League has gotten a good foothold on US Television. Unless you have Qatari level wealthy ownership EN MASS deciding, hey let's create an alternate US League from scratch, it's just wishful thinking. Also I like the college football comparison. I think MLS still has work to do to become a worthy comparison to college football in terms of notoriety but it can get there. Continue to fuel the USMNT and try to work that rivalry with Mexico in the CCL (by owning it) and I think it can make some headway in a few decades.