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MLS Flips Schedule: Summer to Spring Revolution
18 Feb
Summary
- MLS adopts a summer-to-spring schedule, mirroring European leagues.
- The shift aims to enhance global market competitiveness and player contracts.
- A "sprint season" in early 2027 bridges the schedule change.
Major League Soccer (MLS) is transitioning to a summer-to-spring operational calendar, a significant departure from its historical spring-to-fall model. This alignment with major European leagues like those in England, Spain, and Germany is intended to increase MLS's global competitiveness and its position in the international transfer market.
The upcoming 18 months will see a peculiar temporal adjustment for the league. The next season commences on February 21, 2026, and the transition will culminate in a "sprint season" from February to May 2027. This condensed period will feature 14 regular-season games followed by playoffs, serving as a bridge between the 2026 and 2027-28 seasons.
Sporting directors are adapting their strategies to this new framework. The "sprint season" influences player contracts, with one-and-a-half-year deals becoming a common approach to balance stability and flexibility for clubs and players alike. This period is seen by some as a unique, entertaining, yet unrepresentative, glimpse into the league's future.
Financial tools like General Allocation Money (GAM) are also being strategically managed by clubs in anticipation of the schedule change. Teams are using GAM to enhance roster flexibility, acquire prime-age talent, and maintain competitiveness, with the goal of transforming MLS into an aspirational league rather than just a retirement destination.
