"No point in saying never" - MLS Commissioner opens up on pro/rel debate | OneFootball

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber says the league’s once-firm stance against promotion and relegation may not be quite as rigid as it used to be.

Speaking Thursday evening in his annual 'State of the League Address', Garber reflected on how dramatically the league’s landscape has changed over the past decade and suggested that ideas once considered impossible can no longer be dismissed outright.

“Back in the day, I would say, ‘Never,’" he said. "Today I’ll say there’s no real point in saying never, because I don’t know what the future will look like."

He pointed to the league’s impending move toward the international calendar, something he once strongly resisted, as proof that MLS is capable of significant structural change.

“I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar. I remember getting those questions and saying how could we play in eight cities in cold weather, and now we have fans that are coming out through thick and thin,” he added.

Garber’s comments stop short of signaling any formal movement toward promotion and relegation, and MLS’s single-entity structure still presents major logistical and financial barriers.

But his willingness to acknowledge the idea without dismissing it marks a tonal shift for a league that has long insisted the model is incompatible with its business framework.

For now, MLS remains focused on stabilizing its growing footprint and preparing for its 2027 calendar change. 

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