MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday the league is anticipating another lean year in 2021, with losses expected to approach $1 billion for a second consecutive season.
Garber also announced that the start of the 2021 season would be pushed back two weeks, to April 17. Preseason training camps, which were to open Feb. 22, will be delayed as well. The commissioner blamed that on the CBA talks, which stretched nearly two weeks past their deadline.
Speaking in a teleconference with reporters two days after the league agreed on a seven-year collective bargaining agreement with its players, Garber said he expects the coronavirus pandemic will force teams to continue playing in empty stadiums or before limited crowds.