MLS is beginning to loosen its stance on a promotion-relegation system one day being involved in its league.

League commissioner Don Garber took to the podium on Thursday, two days before the 2025 MLS Cup Final, and admitted that the possibility of promotion-relegation occurring one day could certainly happen. However, should it happen, it wouldn’t begin for several years.

“There’s no real point of saying never because I don’t know what the future would look like,” Garber said during a press conference at D.C. United’s Audi Stadium. “I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar.

“Maybe as the development of the lower divisions continue to grow, as they’ve been doing so well over the years, there will be a proper ecosystem,” he added. “I’m not sure. Frankly, I don’t believe that ecosystem can exist today, but who knows?. I’ve learned never say never. That doesn’t mean we’re having promotion/relegation anytime soon.”

Additional major talking points during Garber’s season-ending press conference included the league’s building of soccer-specific stadiums in areas like Chicago, Miami, and New York. Chicago Fire has continued to use Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, while New York City FC has mainly played its home matches at Yankee Stadium over the past few years.

Inter Miami is slated to open Miami Freedom Park in 2026, moving from its current venue Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, the home of Saturday’s MLS Cup Final vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Garber also spoke about MLS’ previously confirmed decision to switch its league schedule to a summer-to-spring format starting in 2027, which will mirror many of Europe’s top divisions and leagues. Both topics reflect the growth in MLS and also show the league’s plans to continue taking major steps forward.

“We’re not just aligning with the world’s best, we aim to compete with them,” Garber said. “We’re in the midst of the most exciting period with the sport we ever could have imagined, at all levels.

“We’ll do whatever it takes, and we’ve shown evidence that we’ll take risks and some of those risks work and some are going to take a step back in competition,” he added.

A major positive for MLS fans occurred earlier this fall when the league announced it would move its match broadcasts to Apple TV’s main subscription service. After originally existing as MLS Season Pass, an additional subscription plan under Apple TV’s service, Garber and many league executives agreed that this plan would provide more flexibility for its fans and viewers.

Should the two parties though decide to change plans or part ways entirely, an agreement was made that plans could change after the 2028-29 league season.

“Good businesses think about having the planning and strategy to go into making the right decisions and having the courage to pivot, to evolve those decisions, if it’s not delivering everything that we’re looking to deliver,” Garber said.

“We had a deal that was a revenue-sharing deal based on the subscriptions,” he added. “When that went away, we sat down, didn’t take a lot of time, and said, ‘Let’s redo our deal,’ and that has a different term and some other elements. They couldn’t have been better to work with. They couldn’t have been smarter to work with. They’ve been great partners.”

Garber is now expected to head to Washington, D.C. to be part of Friday’s FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center before jetting down to Miami for the conclusion of the league playoffs.