General MLS Discussion

[Revfugee]

I can't agree with this. For one thing, the USL is sticking to the summer schedule, at least so far. (Personally, I think they would be very wise to stay the course.)

But I think the main point isn't MLS competing with European leagues. It's MLS complementing them. Because of the time difference, most of Europe is done by the time MLS gets started.

And you can bet the schedule makers are more than cognizant of any conflicts. They'll keep overlap to a minimum.

Anyway, I don't know that peeling fans away from other sports is at all part of the gameplan. Catching prospective fans young and giving them a product aligned with the rest of the world very much is. We're much more likely to get star players now.

(Side note: this very much changes our business model, or at least it should. But that's for another thread.)

USL will not satisfy that. I’ve tried. People crap on MLS quality of play but USL is a bridge too far. NWSL is more likely to, because Gotham has a better atmosphere than either we or RBNJ do out in Harrison, but it’s still not the same. I want my supplemental leagues to be better than ours, not worse.

I addressed the direct time conflict issue before. It’s not about that. It’s about how much aggregate time you can spend with a sport in the week. I’m maxed out already on euro season weeks (even with time shifting).
I’m fully bought into MLS. I’m not going anywhere but objectively we are now competing with a more crowded schedule in our own sport than we have in the past and with more other sports too, when the only competition was baseball for a key part of the season.
Generationally younger and new fans may/will latch on to MLS in the new model, but I think there is going to be a painful transition period that we nutters and the eurosnobs/euroinferiority complex folks are underestimating.

And personally I am not looking forward to freezing my ass off even if it makes me a “real supporter.” I think the marketing depts. are going to feel this one, hard, while the sporting depts jobs just got easier.

 

[ZYanksRule]

USL will not satisfy that. I’ve tried. People crap on MLS quality of play but USL is a bridge too far. NWSL is more likely to, because Gotham has a better atmosphere than either we or RBNJ do out in Harrison, but it’s still not the same. I want my supplemental leagues to be better than ours, not worse.

I addressed the direct time conflict issue before. It’s not about that. It’s about how much aggregate time you can spend with a sport in the week. I’m maxed out already on euro season weeks (even with time shifting).
I’m fully bought into MLS. I’m not going anywhere but objectively we are now competing with a more crowded schedule in our own sport than we have in the past and with more other sports too, when the only competition was baseball for a key part of the season.
Generationally younger and new fans may/will latch on to MLS in the new model, but I think there is going to be a painful transition period that we nutters and the eurosnobs/euroinferiority complex folks are underestimating.

And personally I am not looking forward to freezing my ass off even if it makes me a “real supporter.” I think the marketing depts. are going to feel this one, hard, while the sporting depts jobs just got easier.

I will just say that the 2026 schedule is, largely, what the new schedule will look like -- just with the end of the season flipped. We are just moving a few May games into November/December. There will definitely be some cold-weather games, but there are in the current schedule.

Starting in mid-July is going to take a lot of the sting out of this, especially since we will probably host more games in July and August while the southern teams will host more games in November/December.

 

[KevinJRogers]

I will just say that the 2026 schedule is, largely, what the new schedule will look like -- just with the end of the season flipped. We are just moving a few May games into November/December. There will definitely be some cold-weather games, but there are in the current schedule.

Starting in mid-July is going to take a lot of the sting out of this, especially since we will probably host more games in July and August while the southern teams will host more games in November/December.

This is the key for me. The start of the season and the end of the season will have switched places, with a couple tweaks.

 

[moogoo]

with the schedule change in 2027, i hope the club brings back long sleeve jerseys. i love mine! and find any excuse to wear it. i would love a 24/7 kit long sleeve (though i know that has no chance of happening since it's gone next year). but yea, i hope they make a comeback.

 

[LionNYC]

with the schedule change in 2027, i hope the club brings back long sleeve jerseys. i love mine! and find any excuse to wear it. i would love a 24/7 kit long sleeve (though i know that has no chance of happening since it's gone next year). but yea, i hope they make a comeback.

Same. It's an adidas problem.

 

[moogoo]

Same. It's an adidas problem.

maybe it's a "your club doesn't sell enough jerseys so we aren't gonna make another sku" problem?

 

[CCMore]

maybe it's a "your club doesn't sell enough jerseys so we aren't gonna make another sku" problem?

Unfortunately I think they did away with them league wide. I think it’s more like an mls contract

 

[moogoo]

Unfortunately I think they did away with them league wide. I think it’s more like an mls contract

yea, as far as i could find, they were phased out after 2019.

But even before that, i don't think they were sold for every team. with more cold weather games, bringing them back makes sense.

 

[gbservis]

Sorry if I missed this and it was already discussed, but why is the Minn vs. SD game at 10 PM on Monday? Is MLS trying for poor viewing numbers for the playoffs?

 

[joe]

Sorry if I missed this and it was already discussed, but why is the Minn vs. SD game at 10 PM on Monday? Is MLS trying for poor viewing numbers for the playoffs?

Stadium conflict, college football wins

 

[Joe_Cos]

With the league switching its schedule after the mini 27 season. How entertaining would it be if players under current contacts which at this moment end Dec 2027, would be free agents mid season. The chaos would be interesting as long it’s not NYCFC.

The league and the players union will probably just agree to extend their deals until May 2028.

I think the player union still have to agree to the switch, which will be interesting to see what the players would want be in exchange.