Will MLS Do a Relegation System?

MLS announced it was planning to add more teams, namely numbers 28 and 29, in the future. Cities such as St. Louis and Sacramento have been rumored to be readying their case for joining the league, with others such as Las Vegas and Detroit being in the mix for a franchise. Such rapid expansion (remember, MLS started up in 1996) has raised eyebrows among the sports world and has raised questions about a possible relegation system.

This would mean that MLS would have to add even more teams to the fray, levying expansion fees that would profit the league. However, having an Eastern and Western conference may complicate the manner of relegation. The constant reshuffling of conferences may prove to be a little excessive for the fairly young league, even with all that money. Teams like the Chicago Fire and the Houston Dynamo will be on the cusp of flip-flopping between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

If relegation were to be put in place, here's how I'd want it to go down. Two to three of the worst teams in each conference would get demoted every season. The best two to three from the lower league would be promoted up. Simple as that. There is another problem facing MLS in that there isn't another league for MLS to do this. MLS would have to add even more expansion teams as a result. The United Soccer League would be a league for MLS to use in their relegation system, but USL is more of a minor league for MLS than anything.

Will relegation be coming to MLS any time soon? No. However, MLS is shooting big with trying to compete with leagues such as the Premier League and Bundesliga. MLS should strive to aim higher in a smarter sense.