Report: MLS Proposes Bringing All Clubs to Orlando to Resume Season

MLS has reportedly proposed bringing all 26 teams to Orlando to play at ESPN Wide World of Sports.

MLS is exploring options for potentially resuming its season amid the coronavirus pandemic and has proposed bringing all 26 teams to Orlando to play at Disney's sports complex, according to The Washington Post's Steven Goff.

Under the proposal, players, coaches and additional staff would live under quarantine at a resort near Disney World and play primarily at ESPN Wide World of Sports, which sits on Disney's land. MLS would hold workouts and multiple matches per day at the site and stream games on ESPN's platforms, reports Goff.

Florida started reopening some nonessential businesses last week, although venues like ESPN Wide World of Sports remain closed. Players would need to be tested regularly, although it remains unknown if large amounts of tests would be available. The league would also have to monitor the health and safety of additional staffers such as bus drivers, hotel employees, security teams and media members.

According to Goff, players would not bring their families to the quarantined site. MLS would reportedly plan to send teams home for games behind closed doors at some point in the season, although some state restrictions could make it difficult for every team to host matches.

The league currently does not plan to resume its season until at least June 8, although it has also prepared for possibly delaying its restart until September.

MLS first suspended its season on March 12 in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Some teams have begun opening their facilities for players to take part in voluntary workouts.

Along with reconfiguring its schedule, MLS is negotiating player's salaries with the MLS Players Association. ESPN reports the league made a formal proposal to the union on Friday asking for a 20% pay cut across the board. The proposal reportedly included additional financial reductions that could cost tens of millions of dollars.