http://www.espn.com/soccer/liga-ban...-relegation-could-have-dangerous-implications I've been among those who have argued AGAINST pro/rel for MLS on the basis that the league needs stability to foster the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment that are required to build new stadiums, training facilities, development academies, or even to sign elite players and coaches to lucrative, multi-year deals. Sponsors want stability too. But it's rather interesting to see another league abandon the pro/rel concept based on huge financial disparities between the first and second divisions. They will apparently follow a MLS model.
I wouldn't call it a MLS model. They are not going single-entity. Liga MX is not even going closer to the NFL which shares almost all revenue. MLB would be the closest parallel where the teams share national revenue but local revenue differences create huge disparities and they don't have much of a salary cap. Liga MX will be a closed league (for a while). That is really the only similarity to MLS.
Agreed. When the article referred to it being more of a MLS model, I presumed they meant the closed league aspect.
It's not a done deal yet, but it's been proposed for 4 years starting in 2019 http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/02/07/liga-mx-to-consider-suspending-pro-rel/
The four year proposal sounds more like a preliminary for a permanent switch than something actually temporary. But Mexico's population and geography is probably better suited to a permanent-membership first division than it is for the more traditional pro/rel model of a small number of contenders and a rotating list of also-rans. It's a large nation, with more wealth than most Americans think. The limited pro/rel of the past will mean the switch won't be that hard. Fans there like having more teams contend for the league titles than in most leagues. They'll see some expansions to Juarez, Merida, the north side of Mexico City, and maybe SLP.
I know. I read the article that was linked.My point was that it isn't quite as finalised as you made it out to be.
Now if Mexico doesn't qualify for the 2022 World Cup, Eric Wynalda will run for president of CONCACAF.
For what I read, they are ending Relegation but not promotion. They will expand to 24 teams, then I am not sure what will happen. They do have standards that promoted teams have to meet to be allowed promotion, I think only 7 out of the 16 teams in D2 meet those standards. So if one of the other 9 wins then they can not get promoted, but they get a few million dollars for their troubles.