Major League Soccer has confirmed a sweeping calendar overhaul that brings the league into step with the world’s top competitions. Announced on November 13, 2025, and approved by the MLS Board of Governors in Palm Beach, Florida, the plan will move MLS from its traditional February start into a summer-to-spring rhythm beginning with the 2027-2028 season. The league will bridge the gap with a short, high-intensity transition season from February to May 2027 featuring 14 regular-season games, playoffs, and MLS Cup.

This is no cosmetic tweak. It’s a structural pivot designed to elevate MLS on the global stage, open new lanes in the transfer market, and give the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs an uncluttered spotlight in May. If you’ve ever wondered when MLS would finally sync with the international game’s heartbeat, this is your answer.

What exactly is changing—and when?

Starting with the 2027-2028 cycle, MLS will launch its regular season in late summer—July—rather than February. The campaign will run through spring, culminating with the MLS Cup Playoffs in May. Before that, a special transition season will unfold in early 2027, compressing the calendar into a February-to-May window with 14 regular-season matches ahead of the postseason and MLS Cup.

• New cadence: late-summer kickoff, spring finish
• Transition season: Feb–May 2027, 14 games + playoffs
• Playoffs targeted for May to claim center stage

MLS also notes that its new regular-season format will blend elements of global soccer with North American sports traditions. Translation: alignment with the global clock without abandoning the league’s defining features—foremost among them a marquee postseason.

“Finally, MLS plays on the world’s clock—transfer drama just got real.”

Why MLS is making the move

The league points to three core benefits: stronger global competitiveness, improved transfer-market positioning, and an uninterrupted platform for the MLS Cup Playoffs. Each speaks to a friction that has long hampered MLS’s ability to scale.

Global competitiveness starts with rhythm. When you operate on a different tempo from the rest of the world, squad building, preseason planning, and continental competition can become a constant compromise. A summer-to-spring cadence brings MLS into sync with major European leagues and many leading competitions around the world.

The transfer-market argument may be even more compelling. Historically, MLS clubs have attempted to add difference-makers while many European teams were mid-season, complicating deals and integration. With this realignment, incoming and outgoing moves should mesh more naturally with peak global transfer windows—exactly the dynamic MLS cites in its announcement.

“A spring MLS Cup? Sign me up—let the playoffs breathe without traffic.”

The postseason goes to May

One of the league’s stated aims is to let the MLS Cup Playoffs take center stage. A May finish does just that, carving out a cleaner narrative arc for the postseason. With fewer domestic sports headwinds at that time of year, MLS is betting that its playoff product will gain visibility, momentum, and—critically—appointment-viewing status.

Fans and broadcasters benefit from clarity. A predictable, season-ending window helps storytelling and marketing, while clubs should appreciate the competitive integrity of a calendar that doesn’t constantly fight the tides of external scheduling conflicts.

How fans factored in

MLS says this decision follows a two-year review process that began in October 2023 and included fan research. The headline figure is striking: 92% of league soccer viewers supported the calendar change. That’s a mandate few leagues enjoy when tackling a shift of this scale.

The support shouldn’t surprise. A more globally aligned calendar promises a smoother transfer narrative, less schedule whiplash, and a postseason that feels like a true season finale rather than a squeezed-in epilogue.

The transition sprint of 2027

The bridge from the current cycle to the new era arrives in early 2027. From February to May, MLS will stage a 14-game regular season followed by playoffs and MLS Cup. It will be a compressed, high-stakes sprint: less margin for error, rapid integration for new signings, and a postseason that will serve as the launchpad into a brand-new July start later that year.

Expect clubs to prioritize squad depth and conditioning for that stretch. It’s short, but it will be intense.

“Love the ambition—now show me how northern teams handle that 2027 sprint.”

What could be challenging

No structural change is friction-free. Climate and travel remain uniquely North American challenges, and a realigned calendar will test how teams manage early-season heat in some markets and late-winter conditions in others. The transition season’s February start will spotlight those realities immediately.

There are also the usual calendar puzzles—international dates, domestic cup competitions, and regional tournaments. MLS has not detailed every scheduling nuance in this announcement, and it’s prudent not to assume specifics until the league publishes them. But the overarching goal is clear: simplicity and alignment over fragmentation.

Big-picture impact

By embracing a summer-to-spring cadence, MLS is making its most consequential structural bet in years. The upside is significant: easier player movement, cleaner narratives, and a postseason designed to command attention. The response from the league’s own audience—92% in favor—suggests the market is ready for exactly this kind of ambition.

The Board of Governors’ approval in Palm Beach underscores the institutional buy-in. For clubs, this is a signal to plan multi-year strategies around recruitment cycles and contract timing that correspond more naturally with world football’s marketplace.

What to watch next

Three storylines will define the rollout:

• How teams build rosters for the 2027 transition and the first July kickoff.
• Whether a May postseason creates sustained ratings and attendance gains.
• How the new calendar integrates with existing competitions and international windows.

If MLS executes well, the league stands to gain competitive credibility and commercial momentum on a global scale. The calendar can’t score goals, but it can unlock the conditions that make better football—and better stories—far more likely.

In 2027, the tempo changes. MLS believes that by playing to the world’s rhythm, it can finally turn up the volume at home.