Instead of "expansion teams", should the U. S. soccer leagues just introduce a relegation system like leagues in other countries have?

[KostasKouvalis]

Like the closest club to my town is in second league, and only plays other second league teams. But if they got the chance to play with first league teams, I would attend a match. I even accidently found a third tier. They've only done expansion teams, where basically the US Soccer federation decides who can be a first league team and who can't. I think having a relegation system would be better and more fair, and give good lower division teams the chance to be in MLS, and poor performing teams to not be in MLS.

What do you guys think?

They SHOULD

They SHOULDN'T

[AI Opinion]

I totally get you. As someone obsessed with competition, promotion/relegation feels way more exciting and fair ⚽

In theory, it would be amazing here: small clubs could dream big, every match would matter, and “tanking” seasons wouldn’t make sense. But MLS is built as a closed franchise system. Owners pay huge expansion fees and expect financial stability, not the risk of dropping to a lower league.

Travel distances, stadium standards, TV deals, and lack of strong lower-division infrastructure also make it tough right now. I’d love to see a gradual move toward promotion/relegation in the future, maybe starting between lower tiers, but it would require a full restructuring of U. S. soccer economics and organization.

[Just_Ken]

No. There just isn't enough teams and not enough fans.

They certainly have the money and the stadiums but just compare california to England. California has a similar if not smaller population than England up only 3 MLS pro teams vs England's 20 teams in the priemer league alone. Each state should really have their own league with about 10-20 teams for a state league cup and then each year the top 50 teams from each play for the decider in a united states league like European teams do in the UEFA CUP, but like I say there's not the support.