News: MLS owners approve fall-spring calendar and season format changes: Sources

I may be doing my math wrong here, but if each division does a double round robin and plays all the other teams in the league one time, then the total number of games in a regular season would be as follows:

6 divisions of 5 teams: 33 games
5 divisions of 6 teams: 34 games
3 divisions of 10 teams: 38 games

Then you can look at playoff formats within those possible structures. In any of them (best I can tell) it would require some sort of wildcard play-in game(s) to fill out what I imagine will be a 16-team playoff. A 12-team playoff would be much easier to fill out with any of these divisional setups, and the top 4 would get a bye. However, nothing here is divisible by 4, so how to decide who would get the byes? Also, I'm pretty sure MLS will want a 16-team playoff.

For a 12-team playoff with byes, in the 6 division setup, you'd take the top two from each division and there ya go. In the 5 division setup it would be top two from each plus the two best 3rd place teams (or something like that). In the 3 division setup it would be top 4 from each division. The 5 division setup is the odd man out here.

The problem with any setup seems to be that none of these numbers are evenly divisible by 4, so some Belgium-style rule-making would be in order I think. I can't think of a way to evenly draw from each division, even with additional teams making a play-in round to ultimately get to a 16-team playoff.

 

The other rumor that went with the five divisions was a unique playoff unlike any other American league. You would also have to fit that in a month with the new season. I was thinking something like Leagues Cup might happen. Top five division winners with the next seven teams with highest points total, broken down into four groups of three to open. Then top four going to the next round. That would work easily into four weeks and if they still had to play midweek for CCC. Top four division winners get two home games, next four split and bottom four all on the road. Reseat for the next round and Cup final.

 

The reports about the 5-division format said the playoffs would be based on a single table, except division champs would be guaranteed to qualify. But it would be very unlikely for a division champ to be outside the top 16 or 18 anyway.

 

Total speculation on my part, but I could see how if they did what you are saying then I could also see them allowing the division winners to chose their opponent from the remaining qualifying teams (not too dissimilar to what has been done in MLS Next Pro).

 

That's why I was getting a Leagues Cup format.

 

I think this is what they did back when there were three divisions as well. Whether that rule ever had any impact I can't remember, it wasn't for a long period of time.

 

The rumor was that they were going to do something similar as what the NRL/AFL do for their finals (playoffs). Basically the top seeds play one another to see who gets a bye to the preliminary finals (semifinals), and the nl;osers then get a second crack by playing the winners of the games between the lower seeded teams.

 

People seem to like the somewhat-similar NBA play in system

 

Do they? Maybe fans of the team 8-9 but over all I can't say I've heard anyone with praise for the playoff system they are currently using. If anything the thing I hear the most is the amount of teams making the playoffs is to many and the first round with three games make little sense.
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I thought in 2022 they finally got it right as the top two teams made it to the final and the last real tv ratings were the highest in years for the final. If they stayed the same with a 30 team league at least half the teams would miss the playoffs. Personally I wish it was about 12 but I doubt that would happen. Last year RSL made the Play-in with five more losses than wins, 12/17. Four teams in the west were .500 or below going into the playoffs.
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If they go to more divisions but a signal table after, it would probably reward more teams with winning records. If they cut down on the amount of teams that did could qualify, I believe games at the end of the season would be more compelling. As a neutral watching RSL getting that tie on the last day to qualify when they have almost no shot going forward isn't getting more to tune in, especially when they have a losing record. Not to mention winning a division and possibly a home game/playoff spot that goes with it would be more interesting at the end of the season.

 

Easiest set up would be single table top 16 make playoffs with the divisions only used as a scheduling mechanism to reach 34 games.

If your goal is to mimic Euro leagues and give the Supporters Shield greater respect as a true champion trophy, and not the current watered down “Presidents Cup” prestige it now has, you never mention the divisions at all and give zero reward for “winning” a division. You also announce an enhanced mega prize money increase for winning the Shield, and those last two or three weeks of the regular season take on a new vibe.

You can also bake into the concept the idea of changing divisions every season, to mix it up yearly and provide a variety of competitive combinations. Maybe keep one local “rival” each season like NYRB vs NYFC.

Cup playoffs in my opinion should then be only top 12 clubs, give out some byes as reward to top four, again “mimicking” those Champions League Premier League yearly spots. Have playoffs be all single elimination if you want with home field based on regular season record. Quick and exciting, with another mega winner’s purse announced to juice the competition if you like.

 

See I would actually mimic some of that but lean into being somewhat North American. If, and it is a big If, because you want to give the SS meaning, the five divisions of six work for the 34 game schedule. Ten division games and once against everyone else makes 34 games played. Top division winners plus next highest nine teams in the SS standings. I would create prize money for teams that qualified for Leagues Cup even though four teams would miss the playoffs. Make it so the actual team at the end of the year that qualified gets paid. You could take 5 million and give each team 250K for qualifying and the SS winner another 500K on top for winning the Shield.
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The first round would be teams 11 vs. 14 & 12 vs. 13 for a play in game.
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The next round would lean into LC with four groups of three with the winner of each group making it to the final four. The Supporters Shield winner would be guaranteed all home games through out the playoffs. The other top three division winners would also get two home games in group play. The next four would get one home & one on the road with the bottom four teams would playing two road games. The idea is to reward teams for how they played during the season.
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The last three games would be one and done. Only the SS winner would be guaranteed home games. The final four would be based on highest point total in SS standings only. This would guarantee Apple 29 games, one less that was played last year.
Rewards SS winner, rewards teams that qualified for LC so that at the end of the season as teams are still playing but out of the playoffs picture, they are still playing for something and makes the tournament more mainstream as you use the group stage setup.
You could fit this schedule in May 2028 with the play in games starting on the Wednesday May 3rd. Group stage would go from Friday May 5th to Monday May 15th. Final four Sunday May 21st & the Cup on Sunday the 28th.
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Winning the SS gets extra prize money, plus top seed in the playoffs. The four highest division winners get two home games in the group stage but wouldn't be guaranteed home games for the Final four or the Cup as that would be based on SS standings. It would drive the purist crazy and well, so.....

 

So they're moving from a Spring to Summer schedule to a Fall to Spring schedule.....

 

Zambia is in the southern hemisphere.

 

Yeah, hence why I said they were moving TO a Fall to Spring schedule.......Winter runs from June-September in the Southern Hemisphere.....

 

My wife is from Kenya. The main aspect of Kenyan weather is the rainy season. Not the temperature.

 

Which is December to February, hence the Zambian League's move.

 

Also going to a fall-spring schedule in 27/28: NCAA men's soccer

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/5/13...mester-playing-season-for-di-mens-soccer.aspx

 

While it does seem strange, it guarantees every team gets 7 home and 7 road matches, so that would be easier for teams to navigate, as well as the schedule-makers.

 

I would imagine they'll be playing plenty of mid-week games since the schedule was announced February to April with playoffs in May. There are only 12-13 weeks if they start on the first weekend in February and finish on May 1st. That leaves four weeks for the playoffs. The hard part will be for teams that qualify for CCC.

 

There's a Fifa break in there too in March.... Plus Open Cup