MLS fans waiting for the 2011 schedule will have to wait a bit longer. The league announced on Friday that the full schedules will come out on Feb. 10, about a week later than it has historically been released.
MLS Will Release Schedule On Feb. 10, But No Promises On Playoff Format
“Assembling the schedule begins after MLS Cup and involves several interdependent factors including competitive fairness, international competitions, stadium availability, broadcast windows and club preferences,” the league said in a statement. “The 18 home openers were announced Dec. 20, and we have waited until the entire schedule is complete before making it public.”
We do know that each team will play 34 matches, and play every other team two times. Last season, each team played a balanced schedule with 30 matches. First Kick has already been announced for March 15 with a game between the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy at Qwest Field.
One of the delays would seem to be the lack of a third-tier TV partner. The league and Fox Soccer Channel have been in negotiations, with the league reportedly seeking $20 million a year and FSC offering about $7 million for the rights to broadcast weekly Saturday night games and two United States National Team games.
Even with the schedule being released next week, there was notably no promise as to when the playoff format will be announced. At the MLS Cup in November, the format was promised to be released in late December. The league has not directly addressed that issue in the meantime. Commissioner Don Garber announced there would be 10 teams, but how those 10 teams will be decided has been open to speculation.
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