NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Commissioner Don Garber won鈥檛 rule out adopting relegation and promotion but says for now it doesn’t make sense for the league.
Garber, speaking Thursday at a league event in New York, said new stadiums like New York City FC鈥檚 Etihad Park are among the investments that make promotion and relegation unreasonable for the league’s owners. Etihad Park is .
鈥淚 will say this now that I wouldn鈥檛 have said five years ago, I never thought we鈥檇 change our calendar and we did. I never thought we鈥檇 have 30 teams and we do. I never thought we鈥檇 have 29 stadiums, and we will. I never thought we鈥檇 ever talk about promotion, relegation,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is a time where if it makes sense for Major League Soccer to be what we want it to be, we need to have promotion/relegation, we鈥檒l do it. If it doesn鈥檛 make sense, we won鈥檛.鈥�
In promotion/relegation, the worst-performing teams in a season are relegated to lower-tier leagues, while the top-performing teams in lower-tier leagues are promoted.
MLS launched in 1996 with 10 teams and currently has 30 in a closed system. The latest team, San Diego, paid a to start play in 2025.
In addition to facilities investment, the league’s teams have also built out their academies and player development pathways.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it is the key to solving any issues that people see about our sport. When I鈥檓 talking to the football-playing world and investors, they鈥檙e not saying, `I鈥檓 not going to invest unless they have promotion or relegation,’鈥� Garber said.
Next year, MLS will transition to a summer to spring schedule to more closely align it with European leagues. In the changeover, MLS will stage an abbreviated season in early 2027, running from February to May. The 2027-28 season is expected to start in mid- to late July.
The United Soccer League plans to launch USL Premier in 2028. The top-tier league will include a promotion/relegation system with the second-tier USL Championship and the third-tier League One.
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