MLS releases 2027 Sprint Season schedule with February 19 opener

Major League Soccer announced its 2027 Sprint Season schedule on Thursday, setting February 19 as the opening date and May 8 as the end of the regular season. According to the league's announcement, Inter Miami will host FC Cincinnati at Nu Stadium in the first match, scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

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The opening weekend runs through February 21, with 13 further fixtures after the Miami game. The final regular-season round, known as Decision Day, will have Eastern Conference matches starting at 5 p.m. Eastern and Western Conference matches at 8 p.m. Eastern. MLS Cup is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, although the complete postseason timetable has not yet been announced.

The shortened competition precedes the league's move to a summer-to-spring calendar in July 2027. MLS's published explanation of the format says each club will play its 14 conference opponents once, with seven matches at home and seven away. There will therefore be no regular-season games between teams from different conferences during the Sprint Season, before the two conference champions meet in the final.

Eight clubs from each conference will reach the playoffs, producing a 16-team postseason field. The league's format guidance specifies single-elimination brackets within each conference. It also says every playoff match, including MLS Cup, will be hosted by the club with the higher position in the final 2027 Supporters' Shield standings, making those standings relevant beyond qualification alone.

The Sprint Season will determine entry to subsequent international competitions as well as crown a league champion. According to MLS's guidance, the top nine clubs in each conference qualify for the 2028 Leagues Cup. The league also lists routes to the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup through MLS Cup, the Supporters' Shield, conference regular-season performance and the overall standings.

MLS said every Sprint Season match will be available through Apple TV in more than 100 countries and regions, without blackouts. Full-season ticket packages with MLS clubs will include an Apple TV subscription. The league has confirmed that its Saturday and Sunday showcase broadcasts will return, with their full schedules to be released later.