MLS NEXT Pro will bring professional soccer closer to fans and supporters, while providing more opportunities for players, coaches, referees and sports business professionals throughout North America.

24 league games per club
8 teams will make the playoffs culminating in a cup final
Adidas will serve as MLS NEXT Pro’s first corporate sponsor
Charles Altchek will serve as President of the league
Ali Curtis will serve as Senior Vice President of Competition and Operations of MLS NEXT Pro
“Charles and Ali have the experience, enthusiasm and values to lead the growth and development of MLS NEXT Pro,” said MLS Commissioner, Don Garber. “They will partner with MLS-affiliated and independent teams to bring professional soccer to more communities throughout North America.”

Adidas: As a founding partner of MLS NEXT Pro, adidas will continue to expand upon its deep relationship with MLS and MLS NEXT. The partnership affirms adidas’ commitment to the growth and advancement of the sport of soccer in local communities throughout the United States, Canada and globally.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-next-...march-2022

Joining in 2023:
Eight additional MLS-affiliated teams will join MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, including: Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, D.C., LA, LAFC, Nashville and NY Red Bulls. In addition to Rochester NY FC, MLS NEXT Pro will introduce additional independent clubs to the league in 2023 and beyond.

Rochester NY FC
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Rochester NY FC will serve as MLS NEXT Pro’s inaugural independent club. Rochester NY FC, founded in 1996 as the Rochester Rhinos and rebranded this September, is owned by David and Wendy Dworkin, and co-owned by Premier League striker, and former England National Team star, Jamie Vardy of Leicester City F.C.

“We look forward to showcasing Rochester as a premier professional club and are excited to kick off that process by helping to launch the inaugural season of MLS NEXT Pro in 2022,” said Vardy. “Joining this league, full of opportunity for communities, fans, players and staff – on the pitch and off – is a tremendous point of pride for our club.”

"We are thrilled that Rochester NY FC will be the first independent club to join MLS Next Pro", said David and Wendy Dworkin. “Rochester established itself as a winning club with the Rhinos, and we are pleased to add a new chapter in the city’s rich soccer history as Rochester NY FC. We are excited to develop the future international stars of soccer, right here in our local community. By joining this league, Rochester is on the cusp of the future and the evolving global game of soccer."

Didn’t MLS essentially do this once before with the USL?

MLS had its own reserve league, but effectively scrapped it and had its teams compete in the USL. LA Galaxy II, Atlanta United 2, Loudon United, and New York Red Bulls II will remain in USL Championship for the 2022 season.

It served the USL well at the time, but the reserve teams have become been a drag on the league, as their average attendance was typically under 1,000 (if not under 500). Aside from a title by Real Monarchs (RSL), and a few good years from Swope Park Rangers (SKC) and Red Bulls II, the teams have generally not been as competitive as their independent counterparts. That said, USL League One might not exist today had the reserve teams not been a part of it at launch.

The best prospects for independent clubs to join MLSNP will likely be NISA clubs who have no viable path in the USL ecosystem (like a Chattanooga FC) or MLS affiliated academy programs who are looking to add a professional team.

MLS Next Pro will be the third league to have Division III sanctioning for 2022, along with USL League One and NISA.

Is MLS going to be smart about this, or are they going to send third-division teams traveling cross-country for no reason?

If they are going to be smart, they'll have four divisions (once the other eight teams are added) with teams playing only their division-mates in the regular season. No one wants or needs teams taking 6-hour plane flights in a third division league.

Four divisions like this:

Colorado, LAFC, LA Galaxy, Portland, Salt Lake, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver

Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, St. Louis

D.C., New England, NYCFC, NYRB, Philadelphia, Rochester, Toronto

Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Columbus, Miami, Nashville, Orlando

I don't know about divisions, but I imagine inter-conference play will be limited. At least there is the opportunity to piggyback directly with the MLS schedule (save Rochester of course). It might be cheaper to fly the first and second teams to one destination if it saves turning the lights on at some stadium a second time.

Even Wedge's proposed divisions have some trips that aren't really bus-friendly like Columbus-Orlando or Colorado-LA.

(12-12-2021 03:23 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  I don't know about divisions, but I imagine inter-conference play will be limited. At least there is the opportunity to piggyback directly with the MLS schedule (save Rochester of course). It might be cheaper to fly the first and second teams to one destination if it saves turning the lights on at some stadium a second time.

Even Wedge's proposed divisions have some trips that aren't really bus-friendly like Columbus-Orlando or Colorado-LA.

The point is to eliminate as many plane flights as possible. Obviously you can’t eliminate every single flight; for example, there’s no other team that Colorado could bus to. But even though you can’t eliminate every single flight, the smart thing to do is to eliminate as many flights as possible, and even when flights are needed, put the team on a 2 hour flight instead of a 6 hour flight.

There is absolutely no reason to put third-division soccer teams on coast to coast flights, given that the few fans in attendance won’t care whether San Jose Earthquakes II are playing LA Galaxy II or New York Red Bulls II. It’s the same reason why baseball doesn’t have single-A teams like the San Jose Giants flying to the east coast to play the Salem Red Sox or the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.