Major League Soccer is set to make seismic changes to its most-visible offseason event. Starting in 2020, the league will no longer hold a physical event for its amateur draft, sources tell The Athletic. The league has put on such an event every year since its inception. A new iteration of the draft — which isn’t certain to carry the SuperDraft moniker — will most likely be held via conference call and streamed on the league website in a similar fashion to their Matchday Central broadcasts. The format, date and presentation has yet to be finalized, per sources.



Every year since 1996, MLS had tried to replicate the fanfare that surrounds the drafts in leagues like the NFL and the NBA, while holding the event in conjunction with the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention. The 2020 convention schedule was recently released without any mention of the draft. The new format would appear to cut costs, while also eliminating the often hit-or-miss live elements like...