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MLS Sets 2027 'Sprint Season' to Bridge Shift to Summer-to-Spring Calendar

Results will determine playoff seeding plus 2028 Champions Cup and Leagues Cup places.

Overview

  • From February to May 2027, each of the 30 clubs will play 14 intra-conference matches — seven at home and seven away — with the top eight in each conference advancing to a single-elimination postseason and MLS Cup in May.
  • Sprint-season performance will award five 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup berths and 18 Leagues Cup slots, nine from each conference.
  • After the sprint, MLS launches its first full July-to-May campaign in July 2027, concluding with playoffs in May 2028.
  • The league will adopt an extended winter break under the new calendar, with few early-December games and no January matches before resuming in early to mid-February.
  • Exact kickoff dates and full schedules are still to come, with questions remaining on U.S. Open Cup timing and cold-weather operations as MLS executes the owner-approved calendar change.