I think what people don't realize, is that there really aren't that many top flight Americans to field more then 16 teams. In 20 years? Maybe then, if soccer becomes even more ingrained in our society. For the time being, I can't imagine MLS being able to field 20 or 24 quality teams, with the current restrictions on full internationals, and teh salary cap. Also, a lot of these guys are going to jump ship and go to Europe as a result of salary considerations. The best way would be to double the lowest salary available, and increase the top end one (presumably 250k) to 300k. That goes a long way. Sure it's a big short term investment, but if the players have fewer complaints, then MLS is better off.
I am not quite following you. I don't know what the relative maximum number of teams MLS could reach would be before the quality starts to decline. Maybe it's 16, maybe it's 20, maybe it's 24, maybe it's 50. I don't know. But at some point, most of us (and in particular the MLS front office) will decide they simply cannot expand to anymore teams because the quality of play will decline and that will start to hurt the national team and hurt MLS teams in international competitions (because quality players will be spread too thin). But there may simply be other cities/owners/investors/fans that want to be involved in professional soccer in general and MLS in particular. To satisfy these groups, MLS may be forced to introduce a system of promotion and relegation with the A-League (or whoever is at the top of our lower division pyramid at that time).
I see MLS with 16 teams by 2010, popularity of soccer soaring , lots of new investors/owners, MLS2 being born for smaller markets and stadia . reseve teams for all MLS clubs spread out thru lower divisions ( MLS2, A League). Promotion/relegation will take effect. MLS will max at 20 teams, MLS 2 ( 2 div of 16 teams East West),
In ten years there will be my dream and reality: My Dream: MLS 1 consisting of 16 teams in a single table in 32 week season with Bi Weeks (2): NE NY/NJ Philly Rochester DC Columbus Montreal Chicago Tampa Bay Seatle LA San Diego Dallas KC San Jose Denver Minniapolis MLS 2 Consisting of 16 teams playing a 32 week season and 2 bye weeks: Toronto Detroit Tennessee St. Louis Cleveland Miami Houston Las Vegas Portland Charleston Atlanta Indiana Vancouver Oklahoma City Raliegh Durham Baltimore MLS3 consisting of 16 teams each also playing 30 games: Iowa Wilmington Providence Connecticut Buffalo Long Island Pittsburgh El Paso Salt Lake City Cincinatti Louisville Tulsa New Orleans Edmonton Milwaukee New Mexico two Teams get relegated and two teams get premoted each season. The US Open Cup is as big as the FA Cup. The top eight teams in each league make seperate playoffs. The winners of MLS2 if its not #1 or #2 during the regular season plays the third worst team in MLS #1 home and away for a chance to get premoted to MLS1 the following season thus knocking down another team from MLS1 (3 total) The same sort of playoff system would happen for MLS3 if its winner is not #1 or #2 in the regular season. Salary caps for MLS1 is 30 Million Per season Salary Caps for MLS2 is 20 Million Per Season Salary Caps for MLS3 is 10 Million per season. Stadiums for MLS1 need to be atleast 30000 seats, MLS2 needs to have atleast 20000 seats, and MLS3 needs to have atleast 10000 seats. A TV Contract would be worth 500 Million Dollars on ESPN and another 500 Million on NBC. Games happen on Saturday of every week. The Season Begins in Mid March and ends Mid October. The Playoffs would be Round Robin for each MLS1, MLS2, and MLS3. 2 divisions: 1, 4, 5, 8 2, 3, 6, 7 Each team plays the other 3 times with the higher seed holding more of the home games. 3 games, 2 games, one game. Round Robin ends on the Second week of November. Whoever wins each division ends up playing a one game winner take all at a warm weather Host City the Weekend of Thanksgiving in November. If MLS3 or MLS2 winners are not the #1 or 2 seed in there conference then those relegation battles will take place in early December. Reality is though: 16 teams, 32 week season, home and away, single table: LA SJ KC DC NE NY Clb Colo Dal Chi Rochester Rhinos Cleveland Shockers San Diego Chivas Houston Philly Seatle 8 team playoffs. Home and away. same as it is now. blah blah blah blah. The league averages 20000 fans a game.
Nice dream, Lufty, but it's nice to see you've got all the major metropolises like Iowa covered, but some little hick town like New York City can't find a place in a 48-team league. If and when all this comes to pass, Metros will become "New Jersey" and another team will take over the "New York" name. If there ever was a league today that should have a pro-rel system it would be hockey. If they had two divisions of 16 teams each (bring back Quebec and Winnipeg to round it out), with pro-rel between the two (but no further relegation into the AHL), it would solve a lot of problems with the Calgarys and Pittsburghs not being able to keep up spending with the Wings and Rangers. Tom
This whole thread is silly... This thread reminds me of two guys riding the bus and arguing which is better--a Cadillac or a Lincoln. Currently the MLS has 10 teams. Ten teams! When we get to 14 then we can argue about 16. When we get to 16, then we can argue about if we need 20. But for now, we need more teams in more cities developing more American players.
Lufty, Quit dreaming like the NFL no need for bye weeks. The NFL should get rid of them, however the owners won't due to losing TV revenue from those 2 additional weeks.
I think your 16 team format is good, though I might reduce the number of playoff teams to 6. I think that expanding to 20 teams in the next 10 years would be too much, too soon. A 20 team league that soon could really dilute the player pool and the overall quality of play.