The MLS ‘sprint season’ explained: 14 games, playoffs, cup qualifiers and more | MLS
The typical cliché of a regular season is that it is a marathon, not a sprint. In 2027, Major League Soccer will be an exception.
On Thursday, MLS revealed how its short 2027 “sprint season” will be formatted as it prepares to switch its schedule to a fall-spring format next year. The competition structure will be familiar in many ways, with the regular season standings beginning with a post-season bracket and culminating with the MLS Cup. Lasting just under three months, the match will be played at a frenetic pace that could provide an exciting break from the usual pace of the league.
How will the sprint season be formatted?
The sprint season will begin in February and will see all 30 teams play an all-conference slate: Western Conference teams will face only Western Conference teams, and the same for the East. Each team’s season will consist of 14 regular season games against conference opponents: seven home and seven away. The top eight teams from each conference will advance to the playoffs in a simplified single-elimination bracket, with the playoffs ending in May.
In other words: The only way for a Western team to face an Eastern opponent would be to qualify for an MLS Cup like never before or, almost certainly, ever again.
How will the qualifications for the Cup take place?
From the moment MLS announced it would change its schedule, questions arose about how seriously teams would take the interregnum between the 2026 and 2027-28 seasons. It turns out the sprint season will have high stakes beyond the playoffs. Five places for the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup will be determined by the results of the sprint season. 18 teams – nine per conference – will qualify for the 2028 Leagues Cup based on their performances during the sprint season.
US Soccer has yet to announce how MLS’s scheduling decision will impact the annual US Open Cup, making it difficult to predict if or how the tournament will affect the sprint season. This tournament has historically taken place over a calendar year, with amateur club qualifying taking place the previous fall. The 2026 edition truly began on March 17 with the first round of matches. A total of 16 MLS teams will compete in the third round, with notable non-participants including reigning Open Cup champion Nashville SC and MLS Cup holders Inter Miami.
How do the teams prepare?
Many teams have begun preparing their rosters for the sprint season by negotiating deals for new acquisitions and inheritances. For example, DC United’s signing of former U.S. international goalkeeper Sean Johnson was guaranteed through June 2027. More speculative signings, like the additions of Shak Mohammed and Isaiah LeFlore to Nashville, included team options for the 2027 sprint season and the 2027-28 campaign.
What happens after the sprint season?
The first full season after the schedule change will begin in July 2027, and the MLS Cup is scheduled to conclude the campaign in May 2028. The league will take a winter break from mid-December to early February.
