Aligning the MLS schedule with other leagues

[DGivens87]

Clavijo proposes that MLS aligns its schedule with the international calendar.

My take on it is that it would only hurt attendance if you schedule matches during winter, especially in New England, New York, DC, and Colorado. I think for a league still in its infancy, the existing schedule April-October (i.e. warmer months) is better in terms of continuing to bring in fans. That and the fact that I can't imagine 10,000 fans at Revs game in the middle of January.

[Breakwood]

I dont think it's a very good idea. MLS can't compete with the NFL, NBA and NHL in the winter. They're already struggling with attendance, and they're only competing with baseball.

Also, its not like MLS is the only league that plays spring-fall, Norway, Sweden, Finland, alot of eastern european leagues, plus many latin american leagues also play spring-fall.

[leopard88]

I see the reasons behind doing that, but soccer is not at a place right now where MLS could make that work.

For better or worse, fans here are conditioned to think of professional soccer as a spring-to-fall sport, so you are throwing off the natural rhythm to which fans are accustomed. In addition, the fan base has not developed yet to the point where you can expect a large core to attend games in snow and freezing temperatures (especially when they can watch basketball and hockey in nice, warm arenas). People tolerate football in those conditions because we have been told for the last 100 years that "that is what football is all about" (you know, the "frozen tundra" and all), but I don't think soccer can pull it off.

[Brian in Boston]

You are playing in the middle of summer or you are playing in 30-degree temperatures," Clavijo said. "I believe the players would prefer playing when it's 30 degrees.

Good for them, Fernando. The more pertinent question is whether the players will prefer playing for free? After all, that's what they'll be doing when Major League Soccer folds in the wake of this ill-conceived - indeed, assenine - shift of the schedule.

As Break-Wood mentioned, there are plenty of domestic leagues that play Spring-Fall schedules. If it plans on sticking around as a major-professional sports entity in North America, MLS should continue to be one of them.

[Sodboy13]

Attempting to move soccer to the winter would be about as successful as when Donald Trump tried to move the USFL to the fall. Goodbye, league.

Are these guys so out-of-touch with the landscape of American professional sports that they think it would do a service to their sport to compete directly against the NFL? Not only that, but a shift to the winter also puts you up against the NBA, NHL, and AFL - nice, established, indoor sports. So, you can play in the summer, and compete with baseball for your fans, or try playing in the winter, and compete with three major (and one semi-major) league. Plus, no one wants to play soccer in Chicago in January when it's 3 degrees outside with half a foot of snow on the ground. And no one wants to watch it then, either.

Dopes.

[harperdc]

Funny, that weather doesn't stop fans from coming to Bears games in Chicago; I would be less inclined to go out to games during the summer because I hate sitting out in such temperatures.

and the NBA, NHL and NFL seem to co-exist together rather well. Also, in such a league schedule, the end of the MLS season and possible playoffs would be happening during the beginning of baseball season and before the NBA and NHL playoffs, a period of time that's a traditional lull in the sports world.

besides, this is catering right towards the fan-base who A. know the soccer season schedule for the rest of the world and B. will go to the games regardless of the weather.

its a good thing that they're discussing such a possibility, but it might be too soon. It needs to happen eventually, though.

[Brian in Boston]

Funny, that weather doesn't stop fans from coming to Bears games in Chicago

Then again, the National Football League is an entity with 86 years of history and tradition behind it - a history and tradition that has always included attending football games in blustery fall and winter weather in Northern markets such as Chicago. As a result, fans are accustomed to doing so. By contrast, Major League Soccer is in the midst of just its 10th season. Neither it, nor any other American professional soccer leagues of the modern era, have played a schedule requiring fans to attend games in the late fall and throughout the winter. The result is that North American professional soccer leagues - and their fans - have established a tradition of playing a Spring-through-Fall schedule.

I would be less inclined to go out to games during the summer because I hate sitting out in such temperatures.

Play the games at night, when summer temperatures are reduced.

... and the NBA, NHL and NFL seem to co-exist together rather well.

They've grown to co-exist after sharing the North American pro sports marketplace for 60 years.

Also, in such a league schedule, the end of the MLS season and possible playoffs would be happening during the beginning of baseball season and before the NBA and NHL playoffs, a period of time that's a traditional lull in the sports world.

The "traditional lull"... well, except for spring training and the start of the baseball season... and the late-season race for playoff spots in the NBA and NHL... and the close of the college basketball season... and the West Coast Swing and tournaments like The Players Championship and THe Masters on the PGA Tour. Yes, I'm certain that the close of the MLS season would dominate the North American sports scene in the Spring. To say nothing of the fact that television outlets in this country would undoubtedly drop the traditional sports programming that they now carry in the Spring to focus on MLS.

besides, this is catering right towards the fan-base who A. know the soccer season schedule for the rest of the world and B. will go to the games regardless of the weather.

Yes, and these learned soccer afficianados you speak of are currently filling MLS stadiums to the tune of 15,225 fans per game... in good weather. In Northern markets such as Chicago (13,715), Colorado (11,885), Columbus (13,294), New England (11,294) and New York (14,222) teams are drawing less than that average. You actually believe the numbers are going to go up in these markets if games are played in colder, late fall/winter weather? Call me a cynic, but I'd like to see the so-called "knowledgeable" fan base attend games at a better clip in the here-and-now before I believe that they're suddenly going to bang-out soccer-specific stadiums to the tune of 20-25,000 fans per game in winter weather simply because MLS has gone to a schedule in line with that of England, France, etc.

It needs to happen eventually, though.

No... it really doesn't. As Break-Wood pointed out, there are several domestic professional soccer leagues that operate on the same schedule as MLS.

[The_Admiral]

How can you run around in soccer uniforms during a Chicago winter?

[DGivens87]

How can you run around in soccer uniforms during a Chicago winter?

...or a Nor'easter in the middle of January?

Simply put, keep the schedule the way it is. I love the Revs, but it's a hell of alot easier to attend almost all of their matches (as I currently do) during the Spring, Summer and early-Autumn than it would be in the middle of winter.

[CZzyzx41]

Fact for me is that I'm a footie fan through and through. Having the EPL from fall to spring and the MLS from spring to fall gives me year round matches. If I have to go long periods without soccer on TV, I might just burst.

[Fred T. Jane]

The "traditional lull"... well, except for spring training and the start of the baseball season... and the late-season race for playoff spots in the NBA and NHL... and the close of the college basketball season... and the West Coast Swing and tournaments like The Players Championship and THe Masters on the PGA Tour. Yes, I'm certain that the close of the MLS season would dominate the North American sports scene in the Spring. To say nothing of the fact that television outlets in this country would undoubtedly drop the traditional sports programming that they now carry in the Spring to focus on MLS.

Well, the traditional lull has seemed to move further forward in the year as the scrutiny of televised football practices increased. As a result, if you're looking to move MLS' season for maximum exposure to casual fans, and finish up the season in the middle of July. That's about as close of a lull as you can get. Of course, the start of the season would be hairy, as to end in July would mean a start in February, making it compete with the Super Bowl and NCAA Basketball tournaments, but with the playoffs in a time of the year where the only thing on is baseball and poker reruns, it may be something to consider, at least in theory.

[Mac the Knife]

I think for a league still in its infancy, the existing schedule April-October (i.e. warmer months) is better in terms of continuing to bring in fans.

Fact is this league is 10 years old. If it were going to ever evolve out of its infancy, it would've done so by now. I hate to say it because I like soccer as a sport, but MLS is a niche league - that's all it is, that's all it'll ever be. Rather than to pour more money down the proverbial sinkhole, MLS owners should start focusing on how to lessen their costs and focus on breaking even with the attendance they can get now, rather than screw things up by doing something stupid like changing their schedule.

[Alphabet Man]

IF they are going to change the season, they should have years ago, the NBL here did it (switched from winter to summer) and crowds dropped off considerably. Too late to do it imo

[The_Admiral]

Funny, that weather doesn't stop fans from coming to Bears games in Chicago; I would be less inclined to go out to games during the summer because I hate sitting out in such temperatures.

As mentioned, football, especially Green Bay and Chicago, has cultivated this idea of braving the elements and all that. That's what makes football a unique game. When it's like 5 degrees, snowing, with a -20 wind chill at Soldier Field, THAT'S REAL FOOTBALL. (GRR.) But who wants to freeze his ass off at a baseball game? Considerably fewer people.

Also take into consideration the difficulty of groundskeeping through those harsh Great Lakes/New England winters. Look at Lambeau Field by the end of the year. Torn to shreds. It's literally no more than dirt and dormant grass painted green. Trying to maintain a quality pitch through the winter months is going to be an uphill battle for a lot of these crews. Thank God that Buffalo doesn't have an MLS team. That poor city gets like a meter of snow dumped on it every week. (Boy, will my face be red if they do in fact have an MLS team!) And the players. They act like they've been shot in the thigh when they trip and fall on really good grass. If they pull their stunts on a field in mid-January Boston, they won't have to fake it like they do in the World Cup.

ANYWAY. Winter is for football, not the "passion" of soccer. Don't be ridiculous.

[harperdc]

you're treating the situation as if all MLS fans are Americans with no knowledge of the international game. I think it's at least a 60-40 split between people who know the international game and watch the American version and people who only know the MLS; I'd guess it's more like 75-25, though of course not all 75% are going to be hardcore soccer nuts.

regardless, traditions develop because they're allowed to - the only aspect in that is time. People complained about the change to the Chase for the Cup format for NASCAR, but four years later it's accepted. People complained about the Wild Card in baseball, but it's accepted. They aren't straight analogies, but given enough marketing MLS can convince people the change is necessary or, at the least, inform them of the change.

yes, spring training will be going on, but what would people rather watch: playoffs or preseason? Besides, I haven't argued that the MLS will dominate with that time slot available, merely that it gives them a better chance. who here remembers that the MLS Cup Final is in late october? oh that's right, that's because it's going up against football.

soccer fans and MLS fans are going to follow the sport regardless when it's played. They will watch the MLS game on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday. Sure it may hurt attendance now, but IF it's the best move for the league it will pay off in the long term.

if the MLS put out a good product, they will attract fans, REGARDLESS when its played. Saying the only reason it's successful is because of the season schedule is as ridiculous as saying the only reason it'd fail is because of a schedule move. So many factors are at play that it's incredibly shallow to say that.

[soccer geeks only] when are the south and central american "champions league" equivalents? are they in our summer or winter? I don't know a lick about those competitions, just that the MLS are whipping boys for the first rounds of them, and if this move improves that then I'm all for it; if it doesn't, well, not so much.[/soccer geeks only]

[DGivens87]

harperdc, I get what you're saying, but I'll tell you something: baseball, NASCAR, and the other major sports already have enough built-in hardcore fans that any change or format wouldn't hurt the game or attendance. These sports (save for NASCAR) have been major players on the American sports landscape for over 50 years. Besides, changing a playoff format is FAR different than changing an entire schedule format.

That being said, I've been to a few Revs games in the summer where the draw was just barely 6,000. The only other competition in terms of sports during that time of the year is baseball. However, the last 2 Revs matches I've been to, both in late-September, where the seasonal competition is football and playoff-race baseball, the Revs drew 16,000 and 17,000. So, at least on the small scale of New England soccer, the competition of football and playoff baseball is really not a factor in terms of attendance.

I still believe that at least in these formative years of MLS, where one primary focus should be drawing in more fans to appreciate this game, is to keep the current schedule. One thing that the Revs do is have "high school" and "youth soccer" nights, where they encourage groups of local high school and youth teams to come to the games at discounted rates. These nights are typically big draws at the gates. I just can't forsee these kinds of draws in the middle of January in New England for a soccer match. You're definitely not gonna get kids and parents, which comprise a huge chunk of soccer markets, at games where it's 30 degrees outside.

MLS should just continue to build its base of fans. Align the schedule if you want in 10 years or so, AFTER attendance finally stabilizes.