The MLS (Major League Soccer) has made tremendous strides since its inception in 1996. Attendance is at a all time high, the amount of teams has grown to 22 with another one set to join next season, and every team either has or is working on building their own soccer specific stadium. Gone are the days where teams plied their trade in front of empty football stadiums on rugged turf fields. However, even with all of this growth, there is still one fundamental thing that is keeping this league from becoming one of the world's best. And that is the fact that there is no system of promotion/relegation in place. The MLS' commissioner Don Garber has been adamant that the MLS can not only survive but thrive without promotion/ relegation. And I agree that when this league started, fan bases needed to be established and each team needed to gain some sort of financial stability. But as the league is now , I firmly believe that promotion/relegation would not only increase the competitiveness of the MLS making it globally recognized, but also positively impact the lower divisions as well. 

The thing that makes the sport of soccer unique is that teams aren't rewarded for mediocrity. Teams have to work hard and win games in order to keep their place in the top flight. The constant fear of  getting relegated to the lower divisions is what drives players to play their best because they know that there is a team right around the corner ready to take their place. The main problem with US soccer is a sense of complacency that surrounds the players. Believing that things are going to be handed to them is what caused the US crash out of World Cup qualifying in embarrassing fashion. Because of the closed system that the US  has, a lot of the MLS players have a mindset where even if they perform terribly one season, all they have to do is perform better next season and all is forgiven. This type of thinking is very dangerous , because unbeknownst to the players, their competitive drive is slowly being ebbed away. Because they know that they will always have a job playing in top division soccer.

It also shouldn't be overlooked how promotion/relegation would effect the lower division teams. Knowing that their team would have a chance of getting promoted to a higher division playing against greater competition, teams would bring in greater crowds. There will always be something to play for and this makes for some dramatic moments during the season. And by drawing in bigger crowds, teams in the USL and NASL would become more financially viable with the MLS. This allows them to spend more money on players and eventually their very own soccer specific stadium. There are 30 teams in the USL which has been granted second division status, and 8 teams in the NASL. If both leagues get split in half allowing the top 15 teams of the USL and top 4 of the NASL to form a competitive second division, and the bottom 15 teams of the USL and bottom 4 of the NASL forming a third division, there will be less ambiguity within the US soccer pyramid. And eventually by doing this, other countries will take note and more players will want to be a part of the MLS that is constantly growing and constantly changing. 

So although I understand Don Garber's trepidation due to how the league was, he now needs to look at what the league is. And that is a league with a lot of work to do in order to be considered one of the best leagues in the world, but a league that has withstood the test of time and hasn't shied away from change. The MLS has made many strides over the years, but it is time to take the leap and join the rest of the world in partaking in one of the many reasons that makes the sport of soccer unique and enjoyable to watch.