Should MLS Adopt the International Calendar
I’ve often wondered if Major League Soccer should adopt the same late summer to late spring international schedule (August-May) that the majority of the world uses. Personally, I believe this would be a positive step forward for MLS, both in its development as a league, and in its standing in international futbol.
I understand the reasons Major League Soccer chose the current March through November schedule when they first started. At that point, MLS had to make its' mark on a very crowded American sports market. On top of that, there were other unique circumstance facing MLS such as venue availability, and travel.
However I believe the time is coming, if not already here, when MLS should seriously consider making this change, and fall in line with the rest of the world.
For one, the play on the field will be greatly improved, by making this change.
Moving to the international season would avoid conflicts with the international tournaments (World Cup, CONCACAF’s Gold Cup, Copa America Centenario, etc.) that take place during the summer months. These tournaments are always going to pull many of the league’s best players from their teams, right in the heart of the season. Major League Soccer wants their players in these tournaments, so many if not all of the high-profile MLS players will miss a handful of MLS games in the heart of the season. This despite the league’s hiatus during these tournaments.
Additionally, players who know that tournaments are around the corner, especially the World Cup, are not going to be playing all out. They don't want to get hurt, or be burned out before the tournament starts. At the same time, the corresponding international breaks that come with these tournaments, interrupt play, and throw-off the rhythm of the season.
Moving to an August-to-May schedule makes it easier for the best MLS Players to take part in summer tournaments and other scheduled international qualifiers and friendlies, which is just good for a league looking to advertise itself to both the public and world at large.
Another area where the current schedule has detrimental effect on the play on the field is that the MLS summer is just so jam-packed. With regular season games, Open Cup games, and the cash-grab friendlies against European teams on preseason tours, each team has an overly crowded schedule that many teams don’t have the depth to accommodate. And again this issue is only exasperated when MLS Teams best players have also been away, playing for their national teams.
The reverse issue is then found in the winter, where the majority of MLS players will go without competitive play for an extremely long period between the end of the season and start of the new season. The gap for the majority of MLS players is between October and March. While players both deserve and need a break from the long grueling season, the current gap is too large. The switch to the international schedule would eliminate this huge gap in competitive matches.
Another example that the schedule is bad for the play on the field is the affect the weather has on what should be the showcase of the league. Since the MLS Cup Final is now played in early December, these games have been played amid frigid temperatures, which has produced matches with barely any quality, this year's not with-standing. Because of the current calendar, the entirety of the playoffs is a crap-shoot when it comes to the weather. This affects attendance, affects the atmosphere in the stadium, and play on the field. Switching the season’s playoff games to May should encourage more enjoyable fare on the field and provide a championship decider that shows the league in a better light to domestic and foreign audiences.
Last, I believe MLS teams might perform better in the CONCACAF Champions League. Currently MLS sides have lost repeatedly to Liga MX teams, because they are thrown in right at the beginning of the season. If MLS does better in the CONCACAF Champion's League, it might attract more attention from the television networks.
A second argument for moving to the international schedule is purely financial, and the reason I truly believe the change will happen someday. I contend that Major League Soccer would be more financially viable with the international schedule.
One obvious reason is if MLS were playing in the winter it would be aligned with the international transfer market. This is no small matter. Each summer there is billions of dollars exchanging hands, yet MLS is for all intents and purposes out of this.
Second, MLS will never get the television contracts that they hope to, if they maintain the current schedule; and television contracts are where the real money is.
Currently the MLS playoffs are always in direct competition with the NFL, College Football and the World Series, which just kills ratings. In addition, the number of International breaks in the Fall causes major gaps right in the middle of the playoffs that also serves to kill ratings. And by killing the ratings, it kills subsequent interest by the TV networks. MLS will never grow into its potential if it maintains the current MLS playoff schedule.
The arguments against adopting the international calendar are diminishing and carry less weight.
One is it would pit MLS against the entire NFL, NBA and NHL seasons, as well as place it in direct competition with top-tier European leagues who have broadcasting rights in America. I would contend that at some point if MLS wants to be considered top-tier, it has to be willing to take on these other leagues.
Yes ratings and interest in the early part of the season might be hurt. This just means MLS would need to show more creativity in their outreach and advertising, while offering better product on the field to attract attention and get ratings.
But that's just part of the job.
Besides, in the second half of the season, and the playoffs, the direct competition would only be the NBA and NHL. I feel confident that soccer can pass both basketball and hockey as the second most dominant sport in America.
Weather and climate are also thrown out as reasons MLS must maintain a more summer centric schedule. While I understand that weather will be an issue with the international schedule, I believe it would only be challenging. The truth is the weather in Canada and the United States isn’t totally prohibitive to a European-style schedule. For one, in Europe, games are often scheduled in difficult climates such as snow. And the United States is a vast land with many different climates. Thanks to growth of the league there are locations such as Atlanta, Orlando, the two Los Angeles-based teams and all other teams in Texas and California where games could be scheduled to avoid the worst of the weather in the north. Teams in New England, New York, Colorado, and Chicago could be scheduled to play away from home in the early part of the season. Other teams like Minnesota could develop deals to play a few of their games in local domed stadiums, while Montreal and Vancouver already play in domes. There are ways to make it work.
I have to ask, isn't it better to play mid-season games in harsher climates than it is to play MLS Cup games in frigid weather as we have seen in recent years?
Additionally, to deal with weather concerns, MLS could institute a winter break. This solution would be like most European leagues. The question of course is, can MLS afford to take as many as nine to ten weeks off in the middle of a season? Personally I think it can, but I also think there are ways to fill this time. CONCACAF Champions League games could be scheduled during this time. Other smaller or more regional tournaments could be played in warmer environments or in domed stadiums. This would have the benefit of more silverware being made available for teams.
Of course there are reasons why this change has not occurred and probably will not for some time, but I believe the arguments for making the change are growing, and will soon force a serious debate.
Thus I believe adopting an international calendar is a matter worthy of discussion.
What do you think?