Are there signs of life for sports?
MLS: League, players union ratify agreement to return, starting with a tournament
The Earthquakes and the rest of Major League Soccer are going to have a 2020 season despite a global health crisis that is expected to result in a $1 billion revenue hit.
The league’s players union Wednesday ratified a new collective bargaining agreement through the 2025 season to end testy negotiations in which some players skipped voluntary workouts this week and MLS commissioner Don Garber threatened to institute a league lockout for the first time in history.
The settlement means league executives can now focus on creating a month-long made-for-TV tournament at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The event is expected to be held next month, although Garber declined to provide any details during an hour-long conference call with reporters.
Garber also indicated MLS hopes to hold a regular season this year but he provided few details about it might function because of the uncertainty over the novel coronavirus and differing state and local policies.
“The uncertainty as to when we can return, how many games we’ll have, what we’ll be able to deliver to our media partners and our
national and corporate partners, have forced us to come up with a plan that we can ensure at least allows us to get back in front of our fans,” said Garber, speaking publicly for the first time since the league suspended play March 12.
MLS has many details to iron out as local public health officials begin loosening restrictions that were in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The league temporarily stopped after each team had played two games.
The idea of a tournament involving all 26 teams allows the MLS to begin to recoup some of the revenue losses that Garber said are expected to be about $1 billion.
Previous reports have said teams would arrive on June 24 to prepare for the games.
While most players have been able to practice individually at team facilities, the Earthquakes have not because of tighter restrictions by Santa Clara County public health officials.
San Jose last played March 7 in a 5-2 home defeat to Minnesota United at a time county health officials recommended not holding events with crowds larger than 1,000 people.
An Earthquakes spokesman said Wednesday the team would not make players or staff available to discuss the labor agreement until the league announces the tournament schedule.
Garber acknowledged that the tournament is “an enormous expense and it is a big challenge to our players. I fully accept that going away from home and competing in a tournament of a maximum of 35 days is not an easy ask. These are things we decided to do out of necessity.”
League officials told reporters that they could not commit to a date when teams would play regular-season games in their home stadiums.
“This process started three months ago, and I would’ve told you then that we thought the likelihood of returning to our stadiums was zero,” Garber said. “I feel today, as more and more states appear to be opening up, there’s more of a likelihood that might happen.”
Garber added that he did not expect games to be played in front of spectators even though MLS’s revenue is driven by game-day ticket sales and hospitality suites.
League president Mark Abbott added that executives hope to hold a regular-season in 2020, even if it means playing deep into December. Abbott said it is possible to hold part of the playoffs in early 2021. The season usually runs from late February to November.
The MLS Players Association said in a statement Wednesday that the labor agreement allows mem
bership to “compete in the game they love.”
The statement added, “However, we recognize that we are all moving forward — as players, as fans, as societies, as a world — into a future that looks much different than the one we envisioned a few months ago. There are problems we face collectively that are both more urgent, and more important, than competing on the field.
“We are grieving, we are fed up, we expect change, and we expect action. This change won’t come on the field, but it will come partly through the force and determination of all who seek justice and equality. We hope our return to the field will allow fans a momentary release and a semblance of normalcy. We are committed as a group to doing all that we can – both as leaders in our sport as well as leaders in our communities – to help carry our countries, our communities, our league, and our sport forward.”
Gaber promised the league will take more action than a public stance for equality.
“We’ve tried to create programs that would address some of the things that are important to our core values,” he said. “I have to say that it’s not enough to produce ads, it’s not enough just to have programs that talk about these issues.”
The new labor contract includes pay cuts and reduced bonuses. The union agreed to a reduction in the players’ share of media rights for 2023 when a new broadcast deal is expected to be reached. The players’ share will drop to 12.5 percent in 2023 but return to 25 percent in 2024 and 2025, executives said.