1.
PROPSED
REALIGNMENT
STRATEGY
(A FAN’S SUGGESTION)

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!