Alright, so I intentionally left the words "promotion" and "relegation" out of the title of this post for a very specific reason; I'm solidly, completely, and ridiculously confident that there will never be promotion/relegation in the United States, and I didn't want it to appear I was changing that stance.

And I'm not. Really. I swear.

But since it is on the minds of many American soccer fans again thanks to the rumors about MLS interest in buying USL, I thought I'd address it. Not to suggest that it's possible, not to belabor that it's not (it's not), but to present a creative system that might be the only way it could ever come into the American/Canadian game.

Keep in mind that I'm not proposing this system as a practical solution to the question; I simply wanted to see if I could come with something that was even remotely possible in a country that has never had pro/rel on the professional level before and with a league whose setup use a franchise-model rather than one with traditional clubs.

These are the important points to remember, and why it's almost certain that pro/rel won't happen in American soccer:

The owners, specifically those who ponied up the expansion fee, would never go for it.

Makes sense. If you have an investment in something as dicey a prospect as professional soccer in the United States, you aren't likely to be okay with dropping down into a second division.

The American people don't understand pro/rel.

This one is overblown, but there is something to be said for it; casual fans can't be counted on to stick around if their club is wallowing in MLS2.

The loss in revenue for relegated clubs would be catastrophic.

Without a major TV deal, and with so many clubs playing in new stadiums that aren't going to pay for themselves, the decreased income that would surely result from relegation is a major, major problem.

There are other concerns, of course, but these are the big ones as I see them. In order for a system to mitigate any of those issues, a few things would have to change on the American soccer scene (i.e., the game would have to massively explode).

This means...

1. Larger TV contracts

TV contracts are any big sports league's lifeblood these days; without one/many bringing in millions upon millions of dollars, there simply can't be enough money to go around to make pro/rel worthwhile. I don't have an exact number in mind, but think north of "hundreds of millions".

2. Completely stable, no questions about health, financial footing

Part and parcel with a larger TV deal, the league must have zero questions about its long term viability; as long as city councilwomen and anti-stadium groups can continue to use the phrase "if it's around" when talking about MLS, nothing can change in the way the league operates (meaning a set number of teams with no pro/rel).

3. Second division franchises must be attractive investments

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of people anxious to get involved in MLS these days; every time we turn around, another city is being mentioned as a possible expansion candidate thanks to the backing of big time money. When and if those big money concerns are comfortable investing in second division teams, then maybe pro/rel could be considered a possibility.

That may be a lot of set up for what might ultimately be a let down, but here's my ill-conceived, completely-contrived, and admittedly-impossible promotion/relegation "plan":

Requirements for Relegation

1. A rolling three year point total average will determine the clubs to become relegation candidates; the bottom two clubs in at the end of any given season with the lowest average point total for the previous three seasons will become candidates for relegation.

An exception: clubs who qualified for the playoffs in one of the three seasons will be exempt from consideration even if their point average places them in the bottom two. If any team is exempt due to this playoff caveat, the next lowest non-playoff qualifying team from the previous three seasons will replace them as a candidate.

2. Only qualifying clubs via Requirement 1 that are in the bottom third of MLS average attendance over the same period (three years) will remain as candidates; if one or both of the teams qualified through Requirement 1 are in the top two-thirds of average league attendance, they will be removed from consideration and not be replaced.


If any club remains a candidate for relegation after these two requirements are applied, they will on be replaced if a promotion candidate meets the Requirements for Promotion.

Requirements for Promotion

1. The two clubs with the best average point total over a three season span will become candidates for promotion; however, if a team has multiple league titles over that span but are not in the top two average point totals, they replace the club with the second best point average automatically.

2. Clubs qualified via Requirement 1 must meet a minimum average attendance requirement over a three year period. This number is to be determined by the league office, but shall not be set below 10k/game.

3. Promotion candidate clubs must have stadiums that meet MLS standards, meaning a dedicated soccer facility with schedule and revenue controlled by the club, and a capacity not to be below 20k.

4. Promotion candidates will be required to pay an entry fee for the top division of an amount to be determined by the league (I almost set this at $20 million, which is arbitrary, but is half of the current expansion fee).


If and only if there are clubs that meet both sets of requirements will promotion/relegation take place. No more than two teams can be relegated from the first division in any given year, meaning that no more than two can be promoted.

Relegated teams will receive a parachute payment, also to be determined by the league, but perhaps equal to the promoted club entry fee.


Essentially, I've laid out a pro/rel plan that makes it extremely difficult to get relegated, and equally difficult to get promoted. In the end, it's possible that neither set of requirements would be met often or at all; MLS parity means that the playoffs are always within reach, and it's unlikely that a club that recently made the playoffs (within the rolling three year period) would be in the bottom third of average attendance.

Potential promotion candidates will find it equally difficult; even if the meet the requirements I've laid out, the entry fee to become a top-flight club may be too much. More often than not, second division clubs would choose to remain second division clubs even if a promotion slot was open.

It's only through a combination of on-the-field and off-the-field success/failure that I could see owners agreeing to any kind of promotion/relegation system.

But like I said before, it just isn't happening.

End of completely irrelevant nonsense.