Here's what the new soccer calendar means for RSL fans

Real Salt Lake fans will need to bundle up for a major MLS calendar change starting in 2027.

The big picture: The season, which now runs February to October with playoffs until December, will instead start in July, with playoffs ending the following May.

• That means spectators will fill America First Field during the coldest months of winter — and visiting teams' fans can pack their skis.

Why it matters: The move will align MLS with most of world soccer, including Europe's Big Five leagues and FIFA's international calendar.

• The change takes MLS playoffs out of football season, avoids postseason-disrupting international breaks and removes a disadvantage American teams have faced in recruiting and trading international players.

Catch up quick: The league has flirted with this shift for more than a decade.

• The approaching 2026 World Cup built enough momentum for MLS owners to finally approve the shift this month.

What's next: The league will stage what it's describing as a miniature "transition season" from February to May 2027.

Plus: The calendar shift is expected to change the league's structure, The Athletic reports.

• MLS is expected to switch from an East/West split to five divisions of six teams — but the league has not announced those details.

Between the lines: A coordinated global schedule should drastically change the way MLS teams build their rosters with international players, who currently end their seasons abroad halfway through annual MLS play.

• Under the present schedule, MLS teams haven't been able to directly compete with global leagues for talent, instead signing players in winter, when top athletes may be holding out for a European offer.

• Meanwhile, U.S. teams have had to reject lucrative international offers for players they need to keep for the season to stay competitive.

What they're saying: "We are losing money on the table every summer," one MLS executive told The Athletic.

The other side: Some fans in colder markets are frustrated by the shift away from summer games, and cold-weather teams may have more away games in winter months.

Erin's thought bubble: I suffered a scary bout of heat exhaustion at the one RSL game I attended, on a fiery hot summer day.

What we're watching: MLS still needs to share specifics about the transition season, playoff format, divisional realignment and impact on competitions like Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup.