The Union won’t say how they’ll vote on MLS’ calendar change, but they’re hinting they’re for it

When Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors meets in the next few days at All-Star festivities in Austin, Texas, the agenda will be long. But there’s little doubt about what the biggest item will be.

The potential for the league to switch its calendar from a summer-centric one to a winter-centric slate has been talked about around the league for months, from club offices to many fans on social media. This meeting may be when it comes to a vote.

At the last board meeting in April, commissioner Don Garber said a potential move would be “one of the biggest decisions the league will have made in its history.” That’s not an overstatement, given the many ramifications the change would have.

The positives are clear. MLS wouldn’t have to play through big national team tournaments anymore, as players are often absent from regular-season games, and the product is clearly compromised. Getting out of the worst of the summer heat would benefit player health — and avoid thunderstorm delays and postponements.

Aligning the calendar with European leagues would also get MLS’ playoff schedule out of the way of the NFL and make it easier to buy and sell players. Foreign clubs want to buy in the summer, in the middle of the MLS season, and MLS teams prefer to buy in winter, in the middle of foreign campaigns.

» READ MORE: MLS considers a big bang: Flipping its schedule from summer to winter

The negatives are also clear. American and Canadian sports fans traditionally enjoy outdoor sporting events in warmer weather. Will they bundle up for more games in December and February, even if MLS sets out a winter break, as is widely expected? Or will they turn their noses up, especially in northern U.S. and Canadian cities?

There’s a growing belief that a vote could happen this time around, because it can’t just be talked about forever. Teams are getting ready, and the Union are one of them.

Team president Tim McDermott has been studying the subject for a while and gave significant hints about the team’s perspective.

“I can understand both sides of the equation,” McDermott said. “I think a lot of people like us in the northern cities kind of go, ‘What will that mean from a weather perspective?’ But I think [from] what I’m seeing, the league has done a really nice job of trying to manage that so it wouldn’t have a significant impact on some of the northern teams.”

McDermott discussed the benefits of aligning the calendar with the rest of the world, from transfer windows for buying and selling players to no longer competing during international windows. The latter is a longtime complaint of fans, players, and front offices alike.

» READ MORE: The Union want their new multisport facility to be for the Chester community as much as the team

“It would mean less frequent times when you’re playing on FIFA breaks and not having all of your players — I think that’s a good thing,” McDermott said. “I think there [are] merits on both sides, and we’ll see how it shakes out. … I think we have a good feeling of where we’ll place our vote.“

He then added: “Look, we want to be super helpful to the league. And if the league feels that this is accretive and good for the league, then I think all boats rise with the tide.”

Asked if he was ready to reveal how the team will vote, McDermott deferred to principal owner Jay Sugarman. The opportunity to ask him came a few minutes later, with Sugarman already knowing McDermott had been asked.

Sugarman also didn’t give a firm yes, but he gave his own share of strong hints.

“The calendar becomes increasingly problematic with the Gold Cup, and the FIFA calendar has always been a problem for our calendar,” he said, noting in particular how two FIFA windows annually land around the playoffs. “There will be pros or cons no matter what the solutions are proposed, but my own view is we need to elevate this game in the United States. I’m less worried about the international fan at this point, I’m worried about how do we engage our local community fans deeper and broader?”

» READ MORE: The Union know they have doubters, but their latest win keeps them atop MLS for another day

Critics and advocates alike would likely agree with Sugarman saying that “there’s no simple solution to the FIFA calendar being the panacea.” There are several things the MLS needs to do to effectively market itself.

“If the calendar’s a piece of it, we will support things that can elevate the game,” Sugarman said. “But I think there [are] lots of things that we should be thinking of.”

There’s no question, though, that a calendar flip would be among the biggest things.

“It’s a big jump,” Sugarman said. “A lot of logistical issues. We’ve got to make sure, for the players’ safety, can they train in appropriate environments? How can they do that? A lot of this does come down to, we want our players to perform at their highest level on the pitch.”

That made his next words another big hint. He was speaking the day after the first-place Union’s narrow win over last-place CF Montréal on a brutally hot and humid summer night. Earlier this month, the Union’s U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal was postponed by thunderstorms, with the warning starting just after the national anthem was played.

» READ MORE: FIFA admits the heat had an impact on the Club World Cup in the United States

“Last night was hot,” Sugarman said. “You can see the players struggle to play at that high level that we’ve seen them play at earlier in the year, and I can only imagine if you’re in Austin or Houston. These are real questions about how do we elevate our players, so that they can be the best they can be.”

Sugarman concluded by saying he hasn’t made his final decision yet on how he’ll vote. He had offered enough, though, to send a clear signal.

“I’m still weighing the pros and cons in all the things we’re going to talk about,” he said. “But we are committed to making this league grow and prosper. So if it’s the right decision, we’re certainly going to be in favor of things that do that.”