My Concept of Future MLS and Other Competitions Schedule

Credit to TafkaSoccer/X for this concept

MLS Commissioner Don Garber issued his annual State of the League remarks and press conference on the eve of the MLS Cup and one of the things he talked about was the congestion of the schedule. He thinks the biggest challenge of any league worldwide is managing the schedule and suggests perhaps an apertura/Clausura format like Liga MX. So I was thinking, what if we split the schedule into two seasons: the U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, etc?

Here's my concept of the future of MLS and Other Competitions Schedule:

1st Half: 14 Conference Matches

2nd Half: 18 "division matches"

MLS Spring Season - Late February - Mid June (17 weeks)

• All MLS teams play interconference competitions: 14 matches total to determine whether they place in the top, middle, or lower tiers for the second half of the season (home OR away scheduling)

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10
11	11
12	12
13	13
14	14
15	15

• Conference Teams 1-5 = Tier 1

• Conference Teams 6-10 = Tier 2

• Conference Teams 11-15 = Tier 3

• CONCACAF Champions Cup (Expanded Club WC will qualify 4 clubs; this will complete Club WC Qualification)

  • Round One: Early March

  • Round of 16 Early April

  • Quarterfinals: Early May

• US Open Cup

  • 3rd Round: Mid-April

  • Round of 32: Early May

  • Round of 16: Late May

MLS Clubs play between 15-23 matches

Clausura playoffs end in late May

CCL may be played ENTIRELY during the Spring

Mid June - Early/Mid August (7 weeks)

• US Open Cup

  • Quarterfinals: late June

  • Semifinals: late July

Mid-June: Schedule MLS Tiered Competition for the Fall (There are easily 80+ matches during this window. MLS/Apple needs to avoid overlapping them too much like the regular season; Apertura is now AUG-DEC.)

Expanded Club WC (June - July): Hopefully require certain MLS and Liga MX clubs to be out of the country

Early July: MLS All-Star Game

Leagues Cup (mid-July - mid-August)

• Future League Cup(s) will likely give Bye(s) out of the group stage for clubs competing in Club WC

MLS Fall Season - Mid-August - October (13 Weeks)

• CCL Semifinals: Early September

• USOC Final: Mid-September

• CCL Final: Early October

MLS Supporters Shield & Tiered Competition

All Matches are Home AND Away within the respective tiers = 18 matches

Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
1 (Supporter's Shield Winner)	10	17
2	11	18
3	12	19
4	13	20
5	14	Eliminated
6	15	Eliminated
7	16	Eliminated
8	Eliminated	Eliminated
9	Eliminated	Eliminated
Eliminated	Eliminated	Eliminated

• SS Winner + Teams 2-4 (Tier 1) = CCL Qualified

• Teams 5-8 (Tier 1), 10-12 (Tier 2), 17 (Tier 3) = Playoff Qualified

• Teams 9 (Tier 1), 13-16 (Tier 2), 18-20 (Tier 3) = Wild Card Qualified

MLS Cup Playoffs - November - Early December

• Wild Card (Single Elimination)

1. 9 v 20

2. 13 v 19

3. 14 v 18

4. 15 v 16

• Round of 16 (2 leg)

• Quarters, Semis, and Cup Final (Single Elimination)

So as the 2023 Season comes to a close, do you think the MLS Schedule needs a rebuild with all the competitions outside of MLS? Let me know what you think.

And Don Garber, PLEASE REBUILD THE MLS SCHEDULE FOR ALL MLS FANS!!!!