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MLS assesses its future following big summer

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — This summer showed Major League Soccer that attracting U.S. fans to the game is no longer an issue. It’s engaging them that the league sees as its next step.

MLS wrapped up its All-Star game celebration Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory over German power Bayern Munich.

The match at Portland’s Providence Park capped a wildly successful few months for the sport stateside, following the U.S. national team’s run to the round of 16 in Brazil that drew record television ratings.

And it was certainly not lost on the league when an exhibition match between Manchester United and Real Madrid drew nearly 110,000 fans at the Big House in Michigan last week.

MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott met this week with a group of reporters to discuss the state of the league, which is in the midst of its 19th season.

“From our experience we had a breakthrough in cultural relevance that we hadn’t really seen before,” he said.

Given that breakthrough, it wasn’t surprising that one of the biggest themes Abbott hit on was expansion.

The league aims to expand from its current 19 teams to 24 teams by 2020. Abbott said further expansion would likely be unwise, based on business models that take into consideration the player pool and television deals.

“When we started the league, we did a lot to study all the other professional sports leagues, and we studied the North American Soccer League, specifically,” he said. “We were concerned not about the ultimate size but the rapidness of the expansion. When we think about expansion, we try to think about it strategically.”

Orlando will join the league starting next season, along with a second New York team. Atlanta comes on board in 2017 and superstar David Beckham’s group will land a Miami team pending a stadium deal.

There are several cities vying for that final spot, including Sacramento, California, home of the popular USL PRO side Sacramento Republic FC. Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas are some of the other cities that the league is looking at.

But MLS will face some challenges in the coming year. The MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire after this season and player compensation is key to growing the league, which is still snubbed by top homegrown players who choose the big contracts and international notoriety associated with the top global clubs.

But the trend has started to shift with players like Clint Dempsey going to the Seattle Sounders and Michael Bradley playing for Toronto FC.

MLS player compensation totaled $42 million in 2007 and has risen to $115 million this year, according to salaries released by the MLS Players Union and analyzed by The Associated Press. The average grew from $113,800 to $208,100.

Dempsey has $6,695,000 in guaranteed compensation with Seattle and Bradley $6.5 million with Toronto. But the median — the figure where an equal number of players are above and below — is just under $92,000.

The minimum salaries of $48,500 (for the first 24 players on each roster) and $36,500 (for the final five) figure to be a point of contention in the CBA negotiation.

“In terms of the underlying facts, there are many good news stories that we have, but we continue to face financial challenges at both the league level and the team level,” Abbott said. “We will be very open with our players about that and we will be very clear about the financial condition of our teams and our league and clear about the type of investments we can make and clear about the type of investments that we can’t make.

“We don’t go into looking for a fight, and neither do they. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Raising the salary cap would help clubs attract talent. The clubs have a $3.1 million salary cap, although top players like Dempsey and Bradley are considered designated players, meaning only a portion of their salary counts against the cap.

Abbott did not outline formal plans to raise the cap.

The league will also have to deal with the fate of Chivas USA in Los Angeles. The league bought the team from Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes in February, and the search for a new owner is ongoing.

MLS is also seeking a new home Chivas, which shares StubHub Center with the L.A. Galaxy.

Abbott would not rule out league control of the team extending into next season, but the MLS is committed to keeping the team in Los Angeles.

“We believe Los Angeles is a market that has the capacity for two clubs,” he said. “As you know, we love rivalries. We see that in the Northwest. We think that the rivalry in L.A. can be as compelling.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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