Football has come a long way in the USA and the MLS in recent years. There have been multiple reasons for this, and with GIS’ summits being at the home of Inter Miami CF and Toronto FC, this growth benefits GIS students who attend.
The MLS, founded in 1993, had just 10 teams in its opening season in 1996, and with issues surrounding the league and the teams within it, two teams folded before 2002.
Since then, the MLS has come on leaps and bounds, expanding its current roster to 29 teams and splitting into an Eastern and Western Conference, whilst new teams such as Inter Miami CF have been formed within the last six years.
Here we take a look at how the MLS has grown in recent years, and how this can benefit GIS students.
Purposely Built Stadiums
Unlike football in the UK and around Europe, in the USA, the stadiums used for teams across the country were typically American football stadiums or ‘multi-purpose’ stadiums.
This led to operating costs being far too high, with viewership being much higher for American football than that in the MLS, leading to half-empty stadiums.
It was not until the 2000s that MLS teams started to build their own stadiums, rather than rely on stadiums not built to suit the sport. The Columbus Crew stadium was the first to be built in America, whilst Toronto FC were the first Canadian side to build a football stadium.
These stadiums had reduced capacities, with the biggest being Nashville’s 30,000-seater stadium.
The reduction in capacity allowed MLS clubs to operate in a more financially viable way off the pitch, and it allowed clubs to move away from using artificial turf that was used in the American football or baseball stadiums they were occupying at the time.
Designated Player Rule
One of the biggest reasons for the growth of the MLS was the introduction of the designated player rule, more commonly known as the ‘Beckham rule’.
Without delving too deep into the salary cap, the designated player rule allows MLS clubs to sign three players that would usually be outside their salary cap, whether that be on a free transfer, or via an actual transfer fee.
The rule has allowed multiple stars across Europe to grace the MLS, with the first being David Beckham, who joined LA Galaxy in 2007.
Since Beckham’s move to the MLS, big names have flocked to the MLS, such as Sergio Busquets, Gonzalo Higuain, Olivier Giroud, Blaise Matuidi and Lorenzo Insigne, among others.
Perhaps the most intriguing capture from the Beckham rule is when Lionel Messi decided to leave French giants PSG to join David Beckham’s Inter Miami franchise in the MLS in 2023.
The arrival of Messi in the MLS has worked wonders for the league in terms of growth. Attendance is now at an all-time record high. New England Revolution, who still play in an NFL stadium, saw over 65,000 fans turn up to watch their game against Inter Miami, as fans flocked to see Messi play.
Chicago Fire tripled their average attendance in 2023, as over 62,000 supporters turned up to watch their game against Inter Miami, whilst Sporting Kansas saw over 72,000 fans turn up to watch the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
The high-profile names moving to the MLS will not stop there either, with the league looking to add more quality to its sides.
Expansion of League
The MLS has come a long way since its first season, featuring just 10 teams, as the league now has an Eastern and a Western division, with 29 teams all competing against each other.
It is not just the increase in the number of teams competing that has helped further the growth of the MLS, but the introduction of new teams as well.
In 2017 Atlanta United paid $70 million to join the MLS, alongside Minnesota United, and just one year later, LAFC rivalled LA Galaxy.
Cincinnati joined in 2019, whilst Inter Miami joined in 2020. The MLS did not stop there either, adding three more teams within the next three seasons, with Austin FC, Charlotte FC and St. Louis City bringing the tally up to 29.
The teams do not stop there either, as the MLS are looking to the future already, with San Diego set to become the 30th side in the league, who will be joining the division in 2025.
The expansion of the league presents more opportunities to get more high-profile names into the league and help further the demand for football in the USA.
How This Benefits GIS Students
So, what does this mean for GIS students, and how does it benefit them when searching for careers?
GIS’ summits in Miami and Toronto are a great opportunity for students to go and learn about how things work behind the scenes at big clubs trying to revolutionise the MLS and help its growth. With multiple guest speakers, there is a plethora of knowledge available, from all aspects of the industry,
Guest speakers at the events can provide insight into what goes on behind closed doors on a day-to-day basis, and how decisions are made at a boardroom level.
Students will also be able to hear from people in and around the industry, and with the MLS growing at the rate it is, this is an exciting opportunity.
In previous years there have been opportunities to shadow a journalist in a press conference, with talks from a liaison officer for the 2026 World Cup and a talk from the senior director of communications for Inter Miami.
The GIS summit gives a real insight into some of the roles they could find themselves in further in their career and allows them time to gain contacts they could use.
Learn more about the GIS Global Sports Summits
Article by The Woodwork
