MLS to mirror European football schedule?

[IU Hawks fan]

Final is counter programming to the SEC Championship.

Yeah, might be time to change things up a bit.

 

[The Marquis]

Final is counter programming to the SEC Championship.

Yeah, might be time to change things up a bit.

The amount of crossover between those two things is very low. Very very low, especially in those two markets. They’ll have great overall viewership this final because both LA and NY have a team in it and people in those places largely couldn’t give a damn about SEC football.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

The amount of crossover between those two things is very low. Very very low, especially in those two markets. They’ll have great overall viewership this final because both LA and NY have a team in it and people in those places largely couldn’t give a damn about SEC football.

I'd rather watch DIII football than the SEC....the MLS Cup was fantastic, however

As far as cultivating the casual fan...yeah, that's a miserable thing to be counterprograming. I still don't think devaluing the northern franchises is the way to fix this, but I digress.

 

[PCSPounder]

MLS won't switch to fall/spring schedule before '27

MLS has announced that the league will explore a switch to its schedule that would align with the international soccer calendar as early as 2027, as well as possible changes to the format of the regular season and playoffs

www.espn.com

So it won’t happen next year, as there wasn’t a full consensus among owners.

Two years from now (when, if I understand correctly, there’s a chance to opt out of the Apple contract) is still on the table.

 

[robertmac43]

My attendance at BMO Field will go down if I'm asked to go through December to Febuary....

I get the reasons to line up the calendar.... but come on.

 

[PCSPounder]

My attendance at BMO Field will go down if I'm asked to go through December to Febuary....

I get the reasons to line up the calendar.... but come on.

The USL Super League went for a traditional schedule this year, their first year of operation. That they got first division status approved by US Soccer was surprising… I think I covered that here.

Spokane has a team, speaking of surprises, considering Dallas is the nearest opponent. Spokane Zephyr are further north in latitude than Toronto and do not get the full “Pineapple Express” that keep Portland and Seattle almost completely snow-free during the winter even though both are also north in latitude from Toronto. They play a 28-game season this year. The USL had a break from mid December to mid February. Spokane didn’t have a home game between October 27 and March 8 (they played 7 games on the road in between those dates). The last game of the season is at the end of May.

Of course, I spent some minutes last Saturday in Spokane (watching the men’s team playing in USL-1) wondering if the Spokane Zephyr font completely rips off the original Star Trek font. Shrug, but live long and prosper, yo!

 

[PanniniClaus]

My attendance at BMO Field will go down if I'm asked to go through December to Febuary....

I get the reasons to line up the calendar.... but come on.

Nonsensical unless the plan is to drive out northern teams or force them indoors.

 

[robertmac43]

The USL Super League went for a traditional schedule this year, their first year of operation. That they got first division status approved by US Soccer was surprising… I think I covered that here.

Spokane has a team, speaking of surprises, considering Dallas is the nearest opponent. Spokane Zephyr are further north in latitude than Toronto and do not get the full “Pineapple Express” that keep Portland and Seattle almost completely snow-free during the winter even though both are also north in latitude from Toronto. They play a 28-game season this year. The USL had a break from mid December to mid February. Spokane didn’t have a home game between October 27 and March 8 (they played 7 games on the road in between those dates). The last game of the season is at the end of May.

Of course, I spent some minutes last Saturday in Spokane (watching the men’s team playing in USL-1) wondering if the Spokane Zephyr font completely rips off the original Star Trek font. Shrug, but live long and prosper, yo!

They would need to take a break to get teams like Montreal and TFC to play in bearable weather.

Montreal gets insane snow and obviously is cold during the winter. TFC plays right on the lake and the breeze that comes off of it on an already cold -20 night would be near unplayable.

I love the idea of going to the same schedule, I just don't think its feasible.

 

[The Marquis]

The proposal has a break from mid December to mid February. I’m guessing you get through the bowls, FBS playoffs and Super Bowl. If that’s the case, it’s no more brutal than it is currently, it just impacts more teams. MLS started in late February, and MLS Cup has been in early to mid December most years since 2012.

I still hate it, but it’s not that bad. Just more dogshit rain games at Providence Park for me.

 

[varsaku]

The USL Super League went for a traditional schedule this year, their first year of operation. That they got first division status approved by US Soccer was surprising… I think I covered that here.

Spokane has a team, speaking of surprises, considering Dallas is the nearest opponent. Spokane Zephyr are further north in latitude than Toronto and do not get the full “Pineapple Express” that keep Portland and Seattle almost completely snow-free during the winter even though both are also north in latitude from Toronto. They play a 28-game season this year. The USL had a break from mid December to mid February. Spokane didn’t have a home game between October 27 and March 8 (they played 7 games on the road in between those dates). The last game of the season is at the end of May.

Of course, I spent some minutes last Saturday in Spokane (watching the men’s team playing in USL-1) wondering if the Spokane Zephyr font completely rips off the original Star Trek font. Shrug, but live long and prosper, yo!

The proposal has a break from mid December to mid February. I’m guessing you get through the bowls, FBS playoffs and Super Bowl. If that’s the case, it’s no more brutal than it is currently, it just impacts more teams. MLS started in late February, and MLS Cup has been in early to mid December most years since 2012.

I still hate it, but it’s not that bad. Just more dogshit rain games at Providence Park for me.

MLS season already starts in mid feb and ends in early dec. So this would just impact when games are schedule and playoffs fall in.

 

[KevFu]

MLS also just plays less games, so it would be easier to manage around the weather a little bit.

Shorter domestic schedule, and less overall competitions.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

There are plenty of leagues who play during summer. I fail to see why MLS needs to change the schedule.

 

[Takuto Maruki]

There are plenty of leagues who play during summer. I fail to see why MLS needs to change the schedule.

This is the biggest thing for me - people don't exactly suggest that the K-League, or J-League as a matter of fact, *should* change their schedules in order to appeal to a certain kind of soccer fan, or European team presidents. By this point, both of those leagues, J-League especially, are considered some of the best quality leagues in all of continental Asia. Why should MLS change their schedule, outside of desires to be taken seriously by European footy fans, when by most major metrics, MLS is getting the recognition it deserves as a place for young talent to nurture and grow before moving onto continental Europe?