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MLS Realignment Proposal Creates Four Regional Divisions
- 2. Realignment Strategy: Why Do This? 1. To GROW INTEREST IN MLS by making the league of 29 teams (and growing) more accessible and relatable to fans. 2. Do this by maximizing team rivalries and regional competitiveness that motivates the emotions of core fans and attracts new ones. 3. Preserve the national appeal of the league with every MLS team playing every other MLS team at least once a season. 4. Keep the tradition and familiarity of the Eastern and Western Conferences that fans have grown to appreciate.
- 3. Current MLS Conference Divide EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
- 4. A Better MLS Conference Divide EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
- 5. After a few added adjustments EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
- 6. Let’s now divide the conferences EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
- 7. To create four distinct divisions PAC I F I C D I V I S I O N N O R T H D I V I S I O N C E N T R A L D I V I S I O N S O U T H D I V I S I O N EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
- 8. Proposed Divisions PAC I F I C D I V I S I O N N O R T H D I V I S I O N C E N T R A L D I V I S I O N EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE S O U T H D I V I S I O N
- 9. Power 5 College Conferences
- 10. Power 5 College Conferences • The major college conferences provide some of the greatest rivalries in all North American sports. Their regional competitiveness is legendary. • They have grown loosely around cultural heritage in the different parts of the country that help build their regional identity: The bustling Northeast (ACC); the traditional South (SEC & Big 12); the plainspoken Midwest (Big 10); and the rugged Pacific (Pac 12). • Although soccer fans differ from college sports fans, the cultural heritage will add to rivalries.
- 11. N O R T H D I V I S I O N C E N T R A L D I V I S I O N Mapping Key Rivalries Main Rivalry Secondary Rivalry PAC I F I C D I V I S I O N S O U T H D I V I S I O N EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
- 12. Secondary Rivalry NORTH Main Rivalry Secondary Rivalry SOUTH Main Rivalry Expansion Team Brimstone Cup vs CHI Dallas Trillium Cup vs. COL Toronto Houston Montreal Austin NYFC Nashville NY Red Bulls Charlotte DC Atlanta Philadelphia Orlando New England Miami Secondary Rivalry PACIFIC Main Rivalry Secondary Rivalry CENTRAL Main Rivalry Expansion Team Cincinnati Vancouver Pioneer Cup vs. DAL Columbus Heritage Cup vs SJ Seattle Nicest Rivalry vs. KC Minnesota Portland Chicago Angels & Sinners vs LAFC* Las Vegas St. Louis San Jose Kansas City LA Galaxy Colorado LAFC Salt Lake City Great Plains Cup* Lyndon Station Cup* Route 66 Cup* Copa Tejas Canadian Classique Peach & Orange Cup* Music Cities Derby* Hudson River Derby Great Southern Cup* EASTERN CONFERNCE WESTERN CONFERENCE Hell Is Real Derby Cascadia Cup Death Valley Derby* California Clásico El Tráfico Rocky Mountain Cup Atlantic Cup Colonial Cup* Clasico del Sol Governor's Cup* Proposed Divisions and Rivalry Cups *Proposed Rivalry Cup
- 13. New Rivalry Cups Explained NORTH Division Colonial Cup – Already an informal fan name of the rivalry between DC United and the Philadelphia Union. This cup tournament would include the New England Revolution, as the three teams that names and crests refer to their American colonial history. SOUTH Division Great Southern Cup – A friendly battle between three leading cities of Southern culture. Music Cities Derby – A competition between two cites with strong musical heritage. CENTRAL Division Lyndon Station Cup – Named after the Wisconsin town (pop. 500) that is exactly halfway between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Governor’s Cup – The Missouri Governor’s Cup was awarded to the winner of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals/Rams. It is back for the MLS rivalry. Route 66 Cup – Names after the historic “Mother Road” that connects the two cities. PACIFIC Division Death Valley Derby – Named for the unforgiving, notoriously hot desert that sits between the two cities. Angels and Sinners Cup – Representing the battle between teams representing the “City of the Angels,” and “Sin City.” Peach & Orange Cup – Formalizing an already existing rivalry with a cup filled with peaches if Atlanta United wins or oranges if Orlando City wins. Great Plains Cup – Named after the famous grand, flat expanse connecting the two cities.
- 14. Potential Rivalry Week Matches NORTH Division Hudson River Derby NYFC v NY Red Bulls Colonial Cup DC United vs. Philadelphia Union Canadian Classique CF Montreal vs. Toronto FC SOUTH Division Great Southern Cup Atlanta United FC vs Charlotte FC Music Cities Derby Nashville FC vs. Austin FC CENTRAL Division Lyndon Station Cup Chicago Fire FC vs. Minnesota United FC Governor’s Cup Sporting Kansas City Vs. St. Louis City FC Hell is Real Derby Columbus Crew vs. FC Cincinnati PACIFIC Division Death Valley Derby San Jose Earthquakes vs. Las Vegas Villains El Tráfico LA Galaxy vs. LAFC Copa Tejas FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo FC Clasico del Sol Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami CF Rocky Mountain Cup Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake Cascadia Cup Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers Cross Conference New England Revolution vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- 15. The Proposed MLS Regular Season • 36 matches (two more than currently). • Each team play divisional opponents twice (once home, once away). • Each team plays opponents outside their division once (alternating home or away for an opponent each season). • Teams in seven-team divisions (North and Pacific) play one additional match each season against an opponent in the other seven-team division. The additional matches is determined by equivalent place finishes in the previous season: The North Division first place team plays the Pacific Division first place team, and so on.
- 16. The “30th Team” Question • This proposal assumes the Las Vegas Villains joins the league at some point as the 30th team (based on MLS comments). • If not, a 30th team will likely still come from the Pacific region. (Phoenix, San Diego and Sacramento are all strong candidates) • While the league stays at 29 teams, the Pacific Division will have six teams. The MLS season will have 35 matches, and Pacific Division teams would have one additional game against another team in the division. All other divisions’ schedules would not have to change. • The realignment format also anticipates a likely future expansion to 32 teams, and easily accommodates this.
- 17. The Proposed MLS Playoff Format • Top three teams in each division qualify for playoffs. • The winner of each division gets a first-round bye. • The 2nd place team of each division hosts the 3rd place team from their conference’s other division in a one game knockout first round. • First round winners are seeded into a conference bracket with the division winners of their conference for the conference semifinals and finals. • Conference final winners play each other in the MLS Cup.
- 18. The Proposed MLS Playoff Format • Playoff format is designed to create competitiveness in the division, as final divisional standings determine a team’s path in the playoffs. • Winning a division comes with the significant reward of a first-round bye. • Seeding for the conference semifinals compensates for any imbalance in strength of divisions in a conference. BENEFITS
- 19. “Spring Break” Road Trip • To manage attendance in early season matches, the “Road Trip” weeks would be built into the MLS season (like ‘Rivalry Week’). • All North and Central Division teams would be scheduled to play two or three games away at South and West Division teams. • The week would be scheduled around traditional Spring Break/Easter Break time period to encourage northern fans to travel south with their teams over their Spring Break period. • This would allow for more spring home games in the south and west when the weather is temperate and less games in the north and central U.S. when the colder weather discourages attendance. • Having all teams in a division traveling at the same time creates equity in the schedule, as they will all be at the same disadvantage.
- 20. “Dog Days” Road Trip • This reciprocates the “Spring Break” road trip for the South and Pacific Division teams, as they would play two to three games away at North and Central Division teams at the beginning of August to escape the oppressive southern and western heat. • This would guarantee dates during the comfortable August weather for the North and Central Division teams when it would be easier to draw fans to games. • Like the Spring Break, South and Pacific division teams would offer their fans an “Dog Days Escape” package to travel with their teams up north. • The players would appreciate the opportunity to play away from the worst summer conditions in the south and west.
- 21. Conclusion • Creating four divisions defined by regional culture and not just geography will drive fan interest and emotion in MLS by focusing more on rivalries and regional competitiveness. • Increase national interest by having every team plays every other team in the league at least once each season. This provides a balanced schedule that is equal for all teams. • More games within a division will reduce team travel, while dedicated road trip weeks could increase attendance by guaranteeing more home matches when weather is best in respective regions.
- 22. THANK YOU!