MLS commissioner says promotion and relegation doesn't make sense for his league for now

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber won’t 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’s Etihad Park are among the investments that make promotion and relegation unreasonable for the league's owners. Etihad Park is set to open next July.

“I will say this now that I wouldn’t have said five years ago, I never thought we’d change our calendar and we did. I never thought we’d have 30 teams and we do. I never thought we’d have 29 stadiums, and we will. I never thought we’d ever talk about promotion, relegation,” he said. “There 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’ll do it. If it doesn’t make sense, we won’t.”

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 $500 million expansion fee to start play in 2025.

In addition to facilities investment, the league's teams have also built out their academies and player development pathways.

“I don’t think it is the key to solving any issues that people see about our sport. When I’m talking to the football-playing world and investors, they’re not saying, `I’m not going to invest unless they have promotion or relegation,'” 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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