US EditionGarber doesn't rule out relegation in MLS but makes clear it's years or decades away
MLS Commissioner Don Garber says promotion and relegation are not feasible now due to heavy owner investments but could be considered long-term as lower leagues grow.
- Dec 4, 2025, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said he won’t rule out promotion and relegation, but the move would be years or decades away during a news conference at D.C. United's Audi Stadium.
- MLS launched in 1996 with 10 teams and currently operates as a closed system with 30 teams and Feb–Dec seasons, and Garber said promotion and relegation is impractical due to ownership and investments.
- High expansion fees and stalled municipal deals create practical barriers; Garber said support from the city and province for the Vancouver Whitecaps' stadium is 'untenable,' while the San Diego expansion team paid a $500 million fee to start in 2025.
- Garber, who turned 68 in October, said he hasn't decided about staying beyond 2027 and is focused on the next couple of years, noting succession planning wasn’t a priority during MLS’s startup era.
- MLS owners voted last month to move to a 2027-28 summer-to-spring calendar, while the United Soccer League plans a 2027-28 top tier with promotion and relegation and Garber said lower-division growth might build an ecosystem for it.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Associated Press News
Garber doesn't rule out relegation in MLS but makes clear it's years or decades away
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has not ruled out adopting relegation and promotion. However, he emphasizes that such a decision is years or decades away.
MLS' Don Garber talks Promotion-relegation, calendar change, and more
MLS is beginning to loosen its stance on a promotion-relegation system one day being involved in its league. League commissioner Don Garber took to the podium on Thursday, two days before the 2025 MLS Cup Final, and admitted that the possibility of promotion-relegation occurring one day could certainly happen. However, should it happen, it wouldn’t begin for several years. “There’s no real point of saying never because I don’t know what the futu…
Promotion-relegation model coming to MLS? ‘Never say never’
You know what they say: change always leads to… more change. Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber struck a notably more flexible tone on the long-debated topic of promotion and relegation, acknowledging on Thursday that while the league remains far from adopting the system, he is no longer willing to shut the door on the […] The post Promotion-relegation model coming to MLS? ‘Never say never’ appeared first on Waking The Red.
Garber Signals Relegation Not Likely Anytime Soon in MLS
MLS Commissioner Don Garber highlighted that while relegation and promotion aren't on the immediate horizon for the league, he doesn't completely rule out the possibility in the future. He cited significant investments from team owners that make such changes complex. The USL is aiming for a top-tier league with a promotion/relegation system starting by 2027-28, indicating a developing ecosystem in U.S. soccer. Garber also emphasized the need for…
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