MLS owners have offered Don Garber a contract extension provided a new collective bargaining agreement can be reached with the players reports Sports Business Journal (subscription).


The terms are reported to be up to $3 million per year for four years.


Garber's tenure with the league, which began when he moved over from the National Football League in 1999, has been marked by solid growth in recent years. The league has taken large strides, including the additions of several expansion franchises, the sale of jersey sponsorships, and the luring of big name players.


Garber's acknowledgement that MLS must do a better job of attracting American soccer fans who currently ignore the league indicates that he understand the task American club soccer faces; whether he or the owners are willing to take appropriate steps to better bring in those fans is the question he will face going forward.


Extending Garber is the right move for the league, as it's doubtful they'd be able to find anyone better equipped to take American club soccer through the next crucial phase in its development. Tying the new deal to a successful CBA negotiation is more about the league protecting itself from a large financial commitment if there is a protracted work stoppage or lost season than it is about motivating Garber to get a deal done, but it's a proper caveat to impose.


There is a certain irony, as pointed out in the SBJ story, that Garber could be set to make more in a year than the per team salary cap; as an executive, Garber may be worth the money, but it doesn't look to good on the league or the Commissioner himself.