MLS owners to vote on controversial calendar change | OneFootball

Major League Soccer is on the verge of the most significant structural changes in its history, with owners expected to vote on Thursday in Florida on a shift to a fall–spring calendar and a new single-table competition format.

According to The Athletic's Tom Bogert, the MLS board of governors is prepared to align the league calendar with Europe’s major competitions — beginning in mid-to-late July or August and concluding in May, with playoffs in spring and a winter break from December to February. The change would take effect no earlier than the 2027 season, pending agreement with the MLS Players Association.

Commissioner Don Garber has long argued that aligning with the global football calendar would strengthen MLS’s sporting and commercial standing. The new schedule would synchronise the league with international transfer windows, making it easier for clubs to sign and sell players at peak market times. “We believe that alignment is something that makes sense,” Garber said earlier this year.

On the business side, the move would also reposition MLS’s playoffs in a more lucrative television slot, free from clashes with American football and FIFA international breaks.

To address concerns about winter conditions in northern cities, the league would introduce both winter and summer breaks, while ongoing investment in facilities is expected to mitigate weather-related challenges.

Alongside the calendar shift, owners will vote on a competition format revamp: a single-table system featuring five regional divisions. Each team would face divisional opponents home and away, plus one match against every other team, for a total of 34 fixtures. Division winners would automatically qualify for the playoffs, though the broader postseason structure remains under discussion.

While a vote is expected, sources caution that MLS has delayed such decisions before. However, with commercial deadlines looming, a final decision is needed by March 2026 to meet the 2027 implementation goal.

If approved, the changes would mark a decisive step toward MLS’s ambition of becoming a truly global league — one more closely integrated with the world’s football ecosystem.

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