Overview
- Owners of MLS clubs voted Monday to appoint Larry Berg as the league’s third commissioner, and he will take office on January 1, 2027 while Don Garber moves to league chairman.
- Berg must sell his ownership stake in Los Angeles FC before assuming the job under MLS transition rules to avoid conflicts of interest.
- His immediate responsibilities include overseeing a shortened February–May 2027 “sprint” season that enables a shift to a July-start fall–spring calendar for 2027–28.
- Berg will lead talks on a new collective bargaining agreement, proposed roster and salary-cap reforms, and preparations for a post‑2029 media-rights sale that will replace the Apple TV deal.
- Berg brings decades of private‑equity experience and institutional MLS involvement, and owners say his club-level experience and finance background are meant to convert post‑World Cup momentum into sustained commercial growth.