What MLS Commissioner Don Garber Had To Say About Scheduling

Last month, I posted a piece about whether Major League Soccer would ever consider switching its current March-though-October regular season schedule to an August-through-May schedule.

Last night, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Portland Timbers/Beavers owner Merritt Paulson were interviewed separately on 95.5 The Game's "Strong At Night" and the subject of scheduling came up during this interview with Garber.

The commissioner was asked about MLS playoff games now being played in November and whether it would make sense to re-jigger the regular season so that playoff games could be played earlier in the calendar and thus be less likely to face crappy weather.

The commissioner responded that shortening the season is unlikely. He said that in fact he gets "hammered everywhere I go" about re-configuring the season in the other direction so that the MLS schedule adopts the "international calendar" and is playing in February in Toronto. Garber didn't say MLS would ever adopt a schedule that included the winter, but said the league is "probably more likely moving" toward lengthening the season than shortening it.

Hang on to your scarves.