In November 2025, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced a major calendar shift set to begin in 2027, aligning the league with the world’s top soccer competitions.
The league will transition to a summer-to-spring format, with the regular season kicking off in July and including a winter break from mid-December through January.
Better Integration with the Global Transfer Market: MLS is currently on a different calendar than most of the world’s top leagues, by better aligning the MLS schedule with the global football calendar, it will be easier for MLS teams to bring in top players, as well as get maximum return for their outgoing transfers.
Alignment with FIFA Breaks: conflicts between MLS matches and national team call-ups will be reduced, especially during summer tournaments.
Shifting of Primary Transfer Window to the Offseason: MLS currenlty has their primary transfer window open up during the middle of the season. Under this new format, new signings will arrive in the offseason, with more time to settle in prior to the first match.
As part of this transition, Major League Soccer will be hosting a Sprint Season beginning in February 2027. This high-stakes season will consist of 7 home games and 7 away games all in Western Conference play. The season will end with an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs beginning in May of 2027. Check out the video to learn more about the Sprint Season.
The Schedule for the 2027 Sprint and 2027-28 seasons will be announced at a later date. Get tickets to see the squad play in 2026 here.
SDFC Season Ticket Members can contact their Membership Service Representative on any questions regarding the transition season. Check out the Membership Hub for FAQ's and other information specific for Members.