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The argument for and against Relegation/Promotion being suspended

By Nestor Esquivel

OAXACA, MEXICO - DECEMBER 06: Aereal view of the stadium prior to the Final second leg match between Alebrijes de Oaxaca and Zacatepec as part of the Torneo Apertura 2019 Ascenso MX at Estadio Instituto TecnolÛgico de Oaxaca on December 6, 2019 in Oaxaca, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
OAXACA, MEXICO - DECEMBER 06: Aereal view of the stadium prior to the Final second leg match between Alebrijes de Oaxaca and Zacatepec as part of the Torneo Apertura 2019 Ascenso MX at Estadio Instituto TecnolÛgico de Oaxaca on December 6, 2019 in Oaxaca, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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Why Relegation/Promotion being suspended for 5 years is a trial run.

Last week the big news coming out of Loga MX was the fact that an agreement had been reached and teams had voted on suspending promotion and relegation. Politics, ownership groups, and whoever is to blame is irrelevant now. The facts are that the Ascenso league has been struggling for years now with little to no regular support from the first division Liga MX and the FMF. It has now been barred from Promotion/Relegation into the First Divison Liga MX for the next 5 years.

OAXACA, MEXICO – DECEMBER 06: Players of Alebrijes celebrate with the trophy after the final second leg match between Alebrijes de Oaxaca and Zacatepec as part of the Torneo Apertura 2019 Ascenso MX at Estadio Instituto Tecnológico de Oaxaca on December 6, 2019, in Oaxaca, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
OAXACA, MEXICO – DECEMBER 06: Players of Alebrijes celebrate with the trophy after the final second leg match between Alebrijes de Oaxaca and Zacatepec as part of the Torneo Apertura 2019 Ascenso MX at Estadio Instituto Tecnológico de Oaxaca on December 6, 2019, in Oaxaca, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

This is huge and has overtaken the news as it should. A lot of fans, current players, and former players are upset due to a few reasons:

1. Less competition and reason to compete in the first division
2. Ascenso players not being able to play but most importantly get paid.
3. Multi-Team ownership as Orlegi Group skewing important deciding votes owning Atlas & Santos.
4. FC Juarez voting for ending Relegation/Promotion when the team just won promotion not long ago.
5. Atlas was going to be relegated with the least amount of points in the past 3 years but their owner group Orlegi Group bought their ticket to stay in Liga MX.

While most people are upset, there are some people that are for this decision due to a few reasons:

1. Competition never existed anyway due to Promoted teams not being able to stay in Liga MX due to relegation rules relegating the teams with the least amount of points every 3 years.

2. Ascenso Liga was falling apart anyway and any team that would have financially been able to make it out of the league with a good squad have already as Tijuana, Leon, Juarez, and so on.

3. Multi-Team ownership is good for making teams financially stable as Orlegi did with Santos and are now trying to implement with Atlas F.C

4. There is no counterpoint to the Juarez F.C voting for ending relegation/promotion. It really does look that bad.
5. Orlegi may have intentionally put all their effort behind this important vote to end promotion/relegation or it may have just happened to be a coincidence. Other teams without Interest groups like Club America also voted to end promotion/relegation.

Whichever group you belong to one must admit that the only league in North America that doesn’t have a second division but much rather chaos as second-tier leagues compete against one another in the most capitalistic sense of the word is MLS. This is big news as soccer grows in popularity in the U.S and some of the biggest viewing audience outside of Mexico are in the United States.

It only makes sense for Liga MX owners, officials from the FMF, and MLS to be licking their lips at the prospect of more profits. Profits from bigger game attendances, bigger TV contracts, and combining the best talented North American league in Liga MX with the league that has the most profitability potential in the coming decades in the MLS.

Next. Liga MX is better than the Eredivisie, according to Vincent Janssen. dark

This isn’t a new idea. There is a reason Mexico friendly has been played in the United States selling out stadiums from New York to Chicago and California. It’s maximum profitability. There’s a reason that anybody that has been clever enough to catch onto this trend has called it “Moleros” for years now. To add to that though newer competitions as the “Champions Cup” where Liga MX teams play more MLS teams have been testing grounds for a joint league.

Myself as a Liga MX fan would I myself like to watch more Liga MX games close to home? Of course. At the same time would I want the same product I love more diluted and less quality than it is now? Not at all, and that’s something both leagues are missing when speaking about a joint league is discussed.

Both leagues can prosper on their own, and should. Both things can be enjoyed. Liga MX for those amazing Saturday night games that are exhilarating and MLS in the middle of the day on a  Sunday for a good nap.

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