The 2025–26 Major Arena Soccer League season was the eighteenth season of the league and the eleventh season as the Major Arena Soccer League. The regular season started on November 28, 2025, and ended on March 29, 2026. Each team played 24 games for a total 96 games.
Changes from 2024 to 2025 The league dropped from 12 teams from the 2024–25 season to 8 teams. With only 8 teams in the league, the playoff structure adjusted to having the top 6 teams qualify for the Ron Newman Cup Playoffs, with the top 2 seeds receiving a first-round bye.
Teams
Stadiums and locations
+2026 TeamsTeamArenaLocationCapacityBaltimore BlastSECU ArenaTowson, Maryland3,580Empire StrykersToyota ArenaOntario, California9,736Kansas City CometsCable Dahmer ArenaIndependence, Missouri5,800Milwaukee WaveUW-Milwaukee Panther ArenaMilwaukee, Wisconsin9.500San Diego SockersFrontwave ArenaOceanside, California5,500St. Louis AmbushFamily ArenaSt. Charles, Missouri10,000Tacoma Starsaccesso ShoWare CenterKent, Washington7,141Utica City FCAdirondack Bank CenterUtica, New York3,999
Returning 8 of the 12 teams that competed in the previous season returned for the 2025–26 season Baltimore Blast Empire Strykers Kansas City Comets Milwaukee Wave San Diego Sockers St. Louis Ambush Tacoma Stars Utica City FC
Dropped to MASL 2 The Harrisburg Heat relocated to Hershey Park Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania for the 2025–26 season. The Heat have temporarily moved to M2 due to the arena dates only working with the M2 schedule. The Heat will return to MASL for the 2026–2027 season.
Folded The Dallas Sidekicks, Texas Outlaws, and Chihuahua Savage were removed from the league's list of teams on its website prior to the start of the season. Both Dallas and Texas had arena complications, while the Texas Outlaws violated a league rule becoming bankrupt, and Chihuahua decided to drop out of the league.
Change in season format For the first time in league history, each team will have the opportunity to play every opponent.
Regular season
Teams get 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overime/shootout win, 1 point for an overtime/shootout loss.
Tiebreaker format: Points > Regulation Wins > Wins > Head to Head > Goal Differential > Goals For > Goals Against
2026 Ron Newman Cup The 2026 Ron Newman Cup saw a reduction in teams from 8 to 6. Additionally, each round is played as a best-of-three series; in previous seasons, only the finals were played as a series and each preceding round was a single game.
If a series is tied after two games, the teams play a "knockout game," a 15-minute single period following the end of game 2. In the finals, the teams play a full third game unless arena scheduling does not allow for one; a knockout game may be agreed upon by the teams in place of the full tiebreaker.
* represent overtime periods
References
External links Official website