""There's no real point of saying never because I don't know what the future would look like. I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar," he said Thursday night during a news conference at D.C. United's Audi Stadium in conjunction with the World Cup draw. "Maybe as the development of the lower divisions continue to grow, as they've been doing so well over the years, there will be a proper ecosystem, I'm not sure."
"The United Soccer League said this year it plans to start a top-tier league in 2027-28 and a promotion/relegation system. What is now USL's League Championship has been sanctioned as the second-tier division since 2017 and has 24 teams. The third-tier League One started play in 2019. USL League Two is a semipro level that includes 144 teams in 19 regional divisions and four conferences."
Don Garber will not rule out adopting promotion and relegation but indicated such a decision would be years or decades away. MLS began in 1996 with 10 teams and now operates as a closed 30-team league; San Diego paid a $500 million expansion fee to start play in 2025. Owners' large investments in stadiums, training complexes and youth academies are cited as barriers to promotion and relegation today. The United Soccer League plans a top-tier league with promotion/relegation in 2027-28, while USL Championship functions as the second tier and USL League One and League Two provide third-tier and semipro levels. Garber has been commissioner since 1999 and agreed to a contract through 2027 while initiating succession planning.
Read at ESPN.com
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