What competition format do you prefer? A) 2 Conferences with 16 clubs. (most complex format) 30 regular season games between same conference teams: Western Conference Champion, Eastern Conference Champion, Supporter's Shield winner (60% weight for away games. 40% weight for home games). MLS CUP (Playoffs): 32 clubs R1: Bottom 16 R2: 8 (R1)+8 new teams R3: 8 (R2) + Top 8 teams R4: 8 (R3) R5: 4 R6: 2 - Championship Game. MLS Champion. Total: 41 games B) 4 Conferences with 8 clubs. 14 same conference games + 24 interconference games=38 games + Playoffs (8 clubs, 5 games) Total: 43 games C) 8 divisions with 4 clubs each maybe some kind of conference grouping for conference titles purposes. 6+26=32 games + Playoffs (8 clubs, 5 games) Total: 37 games D) Other. Playoffs could have multiple formats.
D. Other. Here's my NFL-inspired scheduling formula. Two 16-team conferences made up of two 8-team divisions/groups/regions. Play everyone in your division twice: 7 home, 7 away (14) Play the opposite division in your conference once: 4 home, 4 away alternating annually (8) Play all teams from a division in the opposite conference once, alternating annually: 4 home, 4 away alternating biennially (8). Play 4 teams from the other division once based on the previous seasons' results: 2 home, 2 away (4). The pairings and hosts could be decided a number of ways. As for the playoffs, it's not my first choice, but the format could remain largely unchanged from the current one and be pretty good.
I'd divide each conference into 4 divisions of 4 teams each. You would play the opposing conference teams 8 home, 8 away alternating biennially (16). Teams would play home and away against the teams in their own division and the teams in one of the the other in-conference divisions, alternating between all three over a 3-year cycle like the NFL does (14). They would play against the teams in the other two in conference divisions 4 home, 4 away alternating the following year (8). Playoffs would be like the NFL: The two division winners with the best records would get byes to the second round while the other two division winners would play against two wildcard teams with the next best records in a play-in round. the Rest of the playoffs would follow the current MLS format.
How about 68 D1 teams split in to 4 regional divisions. Top 7 in each automatically go into the play-offs. 8 teams go in to 2 legged wild card games for the remaining 4 spots. Remaining teams and wild-card teams go in to a Championship Shield competition. Both the MLS Cup and Championship Shield finals are played in the same stadium on the same day. Simple huh? I can't believe I spent the last 15 minutes writing this BS. New York City (Bronx/Manahattan) Long Island LA x 2 Chicago Houston Philly Phoenix San Antonio San Diego/Tijuana Dallas San Jose Austin Jacksonville San Francisco/San Rafael Indy Columbus Charlotte Detroit El Paso Seattle Denver DC Memphis Boston/NE Oklahoma Portland Vega Louisville Milwaukee Albuquerque Fresno Sacramento Kansas City Atlanta Virginia Beach Omaha Raleigh Miami Minneapolis Tulsa Cleveland Wichita Arlington Tampa Bay Anaheim St Louis Pittsburgh Cincinatti Toledo New Jersey Buffalo Niagara Canada Montreal Toronto Vancouver Ottawa St Pete Reno Baton Rouge Rochester Tacoma/Olympia Salt Lake City Providence Eugene Springfield IL Wilmington One other (Nashville/Memphis/Calgary/PNW?)
I believe this is where MLS will be going in the future. Playoffs will be the top four teams in each conference of four playing it out. Just like the NHL. It has been good for them.
Y The schedule seems reasonable, but I want the postseason to be seeded based on performance, not geography. The easiest way to do it would be to just continue what we're doing now.
From all options available I don't like unbalanced Schedule like yours because is not fair, equal to all teams, etc. Doen't makes sense leaving 4 teams behind. I LIke B), but maybe 43 games are to many... (58-60 games per season) Next I Will say C) Are 34 games not 32: - 6 home and away games inside same division, plus one game with each team from the others 7 divisions (28). - Playoffs: 8 division winners.
4 x 8 team conferences. Play everyone in your conference 4 times. = 28 games, weekend slot for USOC/Voyagers cup. Playoff's for top 3 in each conference (2nd and 3rd get play in round). Teams who finish league in the bottom 4 of each conference have a extra round in the Domestic cups. 1/ 2 conferences with warmer climates can start a month early in March and take August off. 2 ways 1 by climate SE Conference Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, DC United, Jacksonville, Louisville, Tampa Bay, Philly SW Conference LAFC, LA Galaxy, Sacramento, San Jose, Dallas and Houston, San Antonio, Portland NW Conference Vancouver, Seattle, Minnesota, Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids, Kansas City, Indy 11, Chicago NE Conference New England, Montreal, Toronto, NYCFC, Energy drink, Ottawa , Columbus, Rochester SE and SW start in Mid January and take 6 weeks off in the summer Mid July till Sept 1st. Louisville, Philly, Portland and Sacramento play first 2 weeks on the road to avoid cold weather. 2. By Distance West Conference Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Jose, Sacramento, Salt Lake, LAFC, La Galaxy South Conference Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta NE Conference Montreal, Ottawa, Rochester, New England, NYCFC, Energy Drink, Philly, DC United North Conference Columbus, Indy 11, Chicago, Minnesota, Kansas City, Colorado Rapids, Toronto, Louisville South conference could start Mid January and take 6 weeks off in the summer. I would also play the Championship game First week of December in Dallas (Easy to fly to and a warm climate)
Random climates presumably. San Jose's average day time temperature is about 20 degrees cooler than Sacramento in the summer.