MLS NEXT Pro to shift to summer-to-spring calendar from 2027 | OneFootball

MLS NEXT Pro will switch its competition calendar in 2027, starting with a Sprint Season from February to May. The first full summer-to-spring campaign will follow in 2027-28.

Eddie Pope, SVP, Competition & Operations at MLS NEXT Pro and SVP, MLS Sporting Development, called it a pivotal chapter and said the league is very excited about the next phase of growth, citing the KKR partnership, World Cup momentum and the 2027 calendar change.

As a transition, the 2027 Sprint Season will carry the weight of a traditional season. Each club will play 14 regular season matches from mid-February to late April, then four Playoffs rounds, with MLS NEXT Pro Cup in late May.

The 2027-28 season will start in July 2027 and end with MLS NEXT Pro Cup in June 2028, with a winter break.

Clubs will play 28 regular season matches. The first half will run from mid-July to mid-December, before a break and a second half from early February to early May. Playoffs will culminate in early June.

From 2027-28, all three levels of the MLS player pathway will share the same calendar, increasing opportunities for movement between MLS, MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT.

Launched in 2022, the league has 30 teams in 2026, 27 MLS-affiliated and three independent, with further clubs, including Forest City Cleveland, Jacksonville Armada FC, AC Grand Rapids and The Island FC, to join in the years ahead.

Source: Inter Miami

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”