OT: More competition for eyes, MLS switches schedule to Fall-Spring

[Shock Defeat]

PALM BEACH, Fla. — MLS owners officially voted Thursday to flip the calendar to begin in mid-July and run through May.
. . .
In addition to a new calendar, league owners also voted to update the regular season format. The playoff format is still in discussion. The league will move to a single-table competition, but will also have five six-team divisions beginning in 2027, according to sources, though league executives declined to go into detail on the new format.

The plan is for the MLS regular season to span from mid July to April, with playoffs staged in May. The league would take a winter break in December and January. Games would likely pause from around the second week in December through the first or third week in February. MLS understandably is trying to avoid restarting the league on Super Bowl weekend.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6804752/2025/11/13/mls-calendar-fall-spring-europe-schedule-format-owners-vote/

Thought it'd be interesting. Instead of MLS having the summer where there are less sports going on, they chose to run the season now in the fall. I wonder if this will have any impact at all of NBA ratings or attendance in an already crowded sports landscape. MLB tho should be happy.

[MrGoat]

What is MLS? Judging by the context it's a sport league but it sounds like some sort of a disease

[raleigh]

More than a little bummed by the decision. I got into following MLS because it didn't clash too much with my NBA watching.

[Message Boar]

Alligns them more with other football leagues around the world, at least. I'm sure that was part of their consideration.

[Saul Goodman]

How will they play in Toronto New York Montreal Chicago in the winter?

[Clav]

How will they play in Toronto New York Montreal Chicago in the winter?

He slides from half the pitch and makes the tackle at the 18yd box!

[Dyabolikal]

How will they play in Toronto New York Montreal Chicago in the winter?

He slides from half the pitch and makes the tackle at the 18yd box!

The Canadian Men's National Team is way ahead of you

[JT3000]

Dumb idea. So is getting rid of conferences. They're always trying way too hard to be a European league instead of just being themselves.

We don't have European weather. Even with a pause in the middle of the season that no one would want, snow games are still inevitable. Good luck with that.

[Blame Rasho]

I still remember the Costa Rica vs USA snow game… beyond absurd and epic… I say we need more snow games.

[Old_Blue]

Good. Baseball is a dying sport, now mostly only watched by old dudes. Maybe this will be the final nail in that dumb sport's coffin.

[Clemenza]

Humongous leap of faith right here. Hopefully it makes them and doesn't break them. Those other countries don't have to compete with mulit-billion dollar entities like the NFL, NBA, College Football, College Basketball, NHL, etc. They have the country all to themselves.

[Lakers824]

Good. Baseball is a dying sport, now mostly only watched by old dudes. Maybe this will be the final nail in that dumb sport's coffin.

ML*S*
The associate football/soccer league.

[doogie_hauser]

Good. Baseball is a dying sport, now mostly only watched by old dudes. Maybe this will be the final nail in that dumb sport's coffin.

I love football aka soccer very passionately (second favourite sport after Hoops) but to say Baseball is a dying sport is absolutely crap. We just witnessed one of the all time great and historic World Series, and I think MLB is slowly getting back to being as almost as popular it once was before the infamous lockouts and strikes. Having said that, i live in Australia and just guessing here.

I do really hate how some people/sports fans feel the need to knock one sport to praise another (we get enough of that crap in Australia with soccer constantly being maligned/put down compared to our other major football Codes, Aussie Rules and both forms of Rugby, League and Union)

I hate how some fans here say i cannot be both a fan of AFL (Aussie Rules) and The A League (soccer)

Elitist nonsense

[Old_Blue]

Good. Baseball is a dying sport, now mostly only watched by old dudes. Maybe this will be the final nail in that dumb sport's coffin.

I love football aka soccer very passionately (second favourite sport after Hoops) but to say Baseball is a dying sport is absolutely crap. We just witnessed one of the all time great and historic World Series, and I think MLB is slowly getting back to being as almost as popular it once was before the infamous lockouts and strikes. Having said that, i live in Australia and just guessing here.

I do really hate how some people/sports fans feel the need to knock one sport to praise another (we get enough of that crap in Australia with soccer constantly being maligned/put down compared to our other major football Codes, Aussie Rules and both forms of Rugby, League and Union)

I hate how some fans here say i cannot be both a fan of AFL (Aussie Rules) and The A League (soccer)

Elitist nonsense

Just stating the facts, Jack. Take a look at the following two lists of MLB and MLS team values per Forbes. For the first time ever, upper echelon MLS team valuations are approaching and surpassing those of lower echelon MLB teams. And, the trend of these valuations is very much in favor of MLS teams. There are a lot of demographic reasons for this swing, too many for me to care to go into right now. Baseball has also been the biggest victim of the shift from cable TV to streaming. The result is a group of MLB rights deals that don't come anywhere near those of American football or basketball. On top of all that, you've got at least five MLB teams (Marlins, Rangers, Nationals, Royals, Twins) whose team debt exceeds their annual revenue. End result? I can easily see MLB eventually contracting, shaving off up to 6 under-performing teams to direct more wealth to more powerful clubs like the Dodgers and Yankees - which will, at some time, likely threaten to break off with 20 or so other clubs and form a Super League along the lines of what has been threatened by the top European soccer clubs. In 10 or so years, baseball will be a niche seasonal sport, nowhere near it's heyday and certainly not "America's Pastime."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_the_most_valuable_MLS_clubs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_the_most_valuable_MLB_teams

[Raps in 4]

MLS is an amateur league.

[doogie_hauser]

MLS is an amateur league.

How can you say that when possibly the greatest player in the history of the game (Lionel Messi) is playing for Inter Miami ?

[Raps in 4]

MLS is an amateur league.

How can you say that when possibly the greatest player in the history of the game (Lionel Messi) is playing for Inter Miami ?

It's like the Saudi league. Guys will go there to dick around before they retire.

[doogie_hauser]

MLS is an amateur league.

How can you say that when possibly the greatest player in the history of the game (Lionel Messi) is playing for Inter Miami ?

It's like the Saudi league. Guys will go there to dick around before they retire.

Tell you what, I would sell my soul to have a player like Messi (even past his prime) play in Australia

[LockoutSeason]

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[Sofia]

Gee, that’s going to be cold at the home games for the Buffalo Ball Jugglers.