Promotion and relegation is truly a foreign concept to American sports fans. In Europe and South America, however, this system is the norm. These places tend to produce the best soccer players, as well as the most competitive and exciting leagues. We’ll dive into what promotion and relegation is, and why it won’t happen in the US (unfortunately it’s not part of our soccer culture).
Background
Promotion and relegation (abbreviated pro/rel for the rest of this article) involves the best teams in a specific division moving up to the next highest division at the end of the season. They are replaced by the worst teams from the division they are entering.
For instance, in the Premier League in England, the three teams with the worst record are relegated to the English Championship (the division below), while the three best Championship teams are promoted to the Premier League (the top two and then the winner of a playoff).
This system does not exist in the US, but if it did, you would see the worst 4-6 Major League Baseball teams would move down to AAA, while the best 4-6 AAA teams would move to the Major League (let’s forget about team affiliations and regional restrictions, among many other obstacles, for a minute).
Think of how much different those meaningless late season games would be if the prospect of moving down to AAA loomed over a Major League Baseball team? It would give a shot intensity to otherwise meaningless late season games.
Why is it Great for Fans?
While there are many reasons we don’t see the pro/rel system in the US (more on that later), we do see in other countries how it raises the stakes. In the short-term, almost every single game matters for every single team. In the long-term, it rewards well-run organizations, keeps leagues more competitive, and allows the fans of small, local teams to dream.
Keeps Leagues Competitive
The pro/rel system keeps competitive balance at all levels of the sport. A given league will get rid of its worst teams, replaced by teams best placed to improve the overall level of the league. The best teams get to prove themselves at a higher level, while the worst teams can re-earn their place against lesser competition.
In American sports, including the MLS, leagues were not built upon this premise. Oftentimes you’ll see poorly run franchises continue to languish in their leagues (think of the Detroit Lions or Cleveland Browns; for the MLS think of the Chicago Fire recently). Poorly run teams just continue to suffer, while bringing down the overall standard of the league.
Pro/rel forces these teams to get their act together, or face replacement with a better run organization.
Creates More Meaningful Games
Perhaps the most immediately tangible result of pro/rel is the increase in meaningful games across a given season.
If you’ve ever watched a late season game in any US sport between two teams that have nothing to play for, the lack of passion and intensity is shocking. Attendances are low, players are going through the motions, and sometimes teams are ok with losing to gain a better position in the draft.
While the jockeying for playoff spots can create some tension for teams in the top half of the standings, the rest have nothing to play for.
With pro/rel, suddenly all teams would have something at stake. The top teams will still fight for a championship, the middle teams are fighting for spots in various competitions (playoff contention), and the bottom teams are fighting for their lives.
If you ever watch late season games in any European league, oftentimes the most intense games involve two relegation candidates. This pressure creates an environment that cannot be replicated otherwise. Lose, and you might find yourself in a lower division. With this drop in status comes lower pay, worse away trips to less fashionable cities/towns, worse accommodations, etc…
Adding a sport in this country with such high and unique stakes would certainly pique the interest of neutral fans.
Allows Fans and Small Clubs to Dream
While it is rare, the romance of a team from a small town working its way up to the big leagues creates a fairytale story. You simply do not have anything like it here in the US in any sport (maybe a Cinderella story in the NCAA basketball tournament).
Imagine a well-established team from a smaller city like the Richmond Kickers or Charleston Battery gets an up and coming coach with some innovative ideas. He manages to recruit some young hungry players, and after a couple seasons of perfecting their style of play, they manage to win the 3rd division of US soccer (where they currently play).
They get promoted to the 2nd division. Surely this is too big a step up for them, but the coach sticks to his philosophy, recruits some more experienced players that fit his style to join the young up-and-coming squad, the players continue their rapid development, and after a couple of seasons, they contend for and win the second division title. This is beyond their fanbase’s wildest dreams, as now they get to play in the big leagues, testing their philosophy against the best and hosting the biggest teams and best players (including Leo Messi!) in the country in their modest stadium.
A pro/rel system rewards success, however it is achieved. It allows fans to dream, even if the odds of realizing that dream are slim. The stories on the other side are what make sports great.
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is one such example. This book, written by an American author who follows around a team from a small village in Italy who were promoted 5 times in 7 years to make it to the Serie B – one of the biggest leagues in the world. The intrigue and drama around this ascension makes for an incredible story. If you haven’t read it, check it out. It’s one of the best sports stories I’ve ever read.
Wrexham is another example. Although fueled by Hollywood money, their move up the English divisions (they were in the fifth division two years ago and are now in the third division) has created a captivating story.
It would add to the sports landscape here if such stories were possible.
Player and Team Development Incentives
Imagine another scenario. A club from a small city in Texas (or somewhere) decides to create an innovative youth training center with a coaching philosophy prioritizing long-term player development and identifying overlooked players. They start a team in the lowest semi-professional division of the sport (let’s say the fourth or fifth division), bringing through youth players and eventually moving up to the second division where these players can get exposure to MLS and other leagues. The team can make money by selling those players.
This type of meritocracy will reward those who create success, providing incentives to those who can develop players. What’s more American than that?
This setup provides immediate financial incentives and a low barrier to entry, with a high potential payout, to those who can develop the best players. This broadens the talent pool, which is much needed in this country – 30 MLS teams can’t cover the whole country and good players will fall through the cracks. But if hundreds of teams have an incentive to develop players all over the country, we’ll start seeing a much deeper talent pool.
We see this system working well in other countries – look at a team like Brighton in England, for instance. There are countless examples in other countries all over the world too, where feeder clubs work their way up to provide a platform for selling the players they develop while competing at the top level.
The other side of the player development coin is that these intense environments, where you fight for your life every game, create better players. In the US, young professionals play too many games that don’t have enough riding on them. Exposing players to this do-or-die atmosphere at a young age will mold better players, as those who are used to dealing with pressure will thrive in these circumstances later in their careers.
It’s Not Perfect
Of course pro/rel has its drawbacks. Teams can overspend trying to reach the next level without the proper structure in place, then they implode (i.e. Leeds, Portsmouth, Parma). This can evaporate decades of tradition in the matter of a few years of mismanagement.
Because of the meritocracy, the structure of the leagues is such that a few well-run teams tend to dominate each league and stay in the top division, reaping the financial and reputation rewards. While this rewards excellence, it also creates a self-perpetuating system where certain teams have a built-in advantage, while others have a glass ceiling.
This lack of parity can create pretty predictable outcomes – Bayern Munich usually wins the Bundesliga, PSG usually wins the French league, Real Madrid or Barcelona typically win La Liga, etc… Sometimes there are upsets, but not too often.
One positive aspect of American sports is that at the beginning of the season, more than a few teams have a realistic hope to win a championship. You just do not see this in European leagues (maybe with the Champions League, but that’s a whole other story). A lot of fans prefer this unpredictability and hope, rather than being satisfied with a 12th place finish because you avoided the threat of relegation all year, and you know your team will likely never win the title.
Why Pro/Rel Won’t Happen in the US
Despite its many advantages (and a few drawbacks, I’ll admit), pro/rel will likely never happen in the US. There are too many drawbacks for owners and investors in the sport to introduce this level of risk to their investments. Even an increase in interest and viewership wouldn’t make up for the risk of relegation, as well as the additional money an owner would need to spend to get back to the top league.
No Precedent in Other Major Sports
Let’s face it, if you’re a professional team that’s not in the top division of your sport in the US, no one cares. The fanbases of each MLS team are not entrenched enough to turn out in the numbers needed to maintain interest and profitability in a second division. The TV deals are non-existent at the minor league level too.
We are not set up in the country to give as much relevance to minor league sports. Sure, it’s nice to go to your local minor league baseball/hockey/soccer game, and some of these fanbases are solid (I’ve seen it firsthand) but these are just stepping stones for prospects and a nice diversion for local fans. They all have their “real” team.
It would take a different mindset from the bottom up to embrace promotion and relegation. Sure, the minor league teams would love a shot at the top. But could you imagine the shock if any MLS team had to move down a division? Attendance would drop sharply, the better players would want to leave, and the loss of revenue could be an existential problem to that club. It would be a catastrophe, both on and off the field.
While these factors all ring true in other countries when teams get relegated, the effects would be more pronounced here, as the perception of a second division team is much lower here than in other countries. For instance, when I was playing in Germany, I went to a 2.Bundesliga game at FC Koln. They had over 40,000 fans for a game against a relegation candidate in the second division (they regularly average over 40,000 per game, even in the second division).
We don’t have a culture of supporting teams not at the top level like they do in other countries. There would need to be mechanisms in place for these teams to not fold within a couple of seasons, but to also maintain the merit-based benefits of pro/rel.
It’s a tough balancing act, and one that I think all teams involved would rather avoid at this time, especially those currently in the MLS.
MLS Ownership Structure
The MLS ownership group will likely block any attempt at pro/rel for the foreseeable future. They present the biggest hurdle. Given the recent eye-watering expansion fee of $500 million for the San Diego club, you can see why any investment group would balk at the prospect of playing in a lower division. You simply will not increase the value of your investment in a minor league.
Basically, relegation presents risk for such a large investment. Investors do not like unnecessary risk. While there could be some additional upside that this structure could increase the value of their franchise by creating a more intense, competitive, and popular league, it’s just not worth the risk of your team languishing in the minor leagues for any amount of time.
Since these investors hold all the power, I think they will immediately block any attempt to introduce pro/rel in the foreseeable future.
Verdict
Promotion and relegation works well in other countries and provides a level of intensity across a season that we don’t see in US sports.
Realistically, it won’t take hold in the US. While this system has proven benefits for competitiveness, drama, player development, and meritocracy, the amount of investment needed to get the MLS to its current state (a huge accomplishment, I might add, seeing where it came from in the 90’s) will block the introduction of such a system.
We can dream, but it won’t change anything.
