Promotion and relegation has entered the mainstream conversation in the US soccer community ever since the USMNT failed to qualify for the World Cup. But it is also deeply touched by the decision by Anthony Precourt to move the Columbus Crew to Austin, Texas, and MLS giving its tacit approval to the move, despite offers on the table from locals to buy the team and keep the Crew in Columbus.
The league is moving into its third era. The first was merely surviving the 90s and early 2000s; the second was expansion and growth. The third is an era of profit, and it is one that leaves fan concerns behind in the pursuit of money.