The league is concentrating on its new schedule starting in 2027.
For those in Indianapolis and in Indiana, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber had some bad news. Major League Soccer is not expanding now and Garber can’t imagine a world where Major League Soccer will have more than 32 franchises. Major League Soccer has 30 franchises and Garber is retiring in December 2027 so that could change with a new commissioner. “For a lot of different reasons, schedule makeup and the like I don’t see us going beyond 32, and I’m not sure 32 is coming anytime soon,” Garber said. “It’s about making what we have bigger, better, stronger and capturing this cultural moment.”
Major League Soccer is going through a succession process. Expansion seems to be on hold. Indianapolis politicians have been pushing for a franchise. Sacramento politicians have provided funding for a soccer stadium and that venue could be expanded to accommodate a Major League Soccer franchise. Sacramento was awarded a conditional MLS franchise in 2019 but the bid was pulled in 2021. Garber is dealing with a problem in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The problem is not lack of attendance but the stadium lease. Whitecaps ownership said it is not getting enough revenue out of the stadium and the business is for sale. The Whitecaps ownership is in negotiations with British Columbia politicians trying to solve the problem and a couple of solutions have been floated. One is that Whitecaps ownership buy the stadium or take over the management of the venue. There was a report that Las Vegas investors were willing to buy the franchise and move the team to Nevada. Garber is overseeing a change in the schedule from a spring-summer-fall league to a fall-winter-summer league and that may keep him on the job through the end of the 2028 season. That schedule change is the league’s biggest challenge.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
