MLS NEXT Pro will undergo a major scheduling overhaul beginning in 2027, transitioning from its traditional calendar to a Summer-to-Spring format designed to better align the league with Major League Soccer and leading soccer competitions around the world.
The league announced Thursday that the transition will begin with a shortened but fully recognized 2027 Sprint Season, running from February through May. Each MLS NEXT Pro club will play 14 regular-season matches between mid-February and late April before a four-round postseason. The Sprint Season will conclude with the MLS NEXT Pro Cup in late May.
Only weeks later, the league will begin its first full Summer-to-Spring campaign.
The 2027-28 MLS NEXT Pro season will kick off in July 2027 and feature 28 regular-season matches per club. The first portion of the schedule will run from mid-July through mid-December before teams break for the winter. Competition will resume in early February and continue through early May, followed by the playoffs and MLS NEXT Pro Cup in June 2028.
“This is a pivotal chapter for MLS NEXT Pro and the sport of soccer in our country,” said Eddie Pope, SVP of Competition & Operations for MLS NEXT Pro and SVP of MLS Sporting Development.
Beyond changing when matches are played, the move carries significant implications for Major League Soccer’s player development system.
Beginning with the 2027-28 campaign, MLS, MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT will operate on the same Summer-to-Spring calendar. The league believes the alignment will make movement between the three levels easier while creating additional opportunities and greater efficiency in player development.
MLS NEXT Pro has increasingly served as a bridge between academy soccer and MLS since launching in March 2022. More than 1,000 MLS players have spent time on loan in MLS NEXT Pro, while 270 NEXT Pro players have subsequently signed MLS first-team contracts.
Additionally, more than 1,300 MLS NEXT Academy players have already appeared in MLS NEXT Pro competition.
The calendar change represents another major step in the evolution of a league that has become an increasingly important piece of the MLS developmental pathway.
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