Four on the road, then five at home: RSL unveils unusual 2027 Sprint season schedule
Oct 29, 2026, 12:26 PM | Updated: 12:34 pm
Real Salt Lake forward Sergi Solans celebrates one of two goals during a 4-1 win over England's Burnley FC in an international friendly, Wednesday, July 15, 2026 in Sandy, Utah. (Photo: Tyler Staten for KSL.com)
(Photo: Tyler Staten for KSL.com)
SANDY — Real Salt Lake will begin its 2027 MLS Sprint Season with four consecutive road matches before returning to America First Field for a home-heavy stretch, according to the schedule released Thursday.
The abbreviated 14-match campaign opens Feb. 21 at Seattle, followed by trips to San Diego FC on Feb. 27, Colorado on March 6 and San Jose on March 13.
RSL won’t play its first home match until March 20, when FC Dallas visits America First Field.
The club attributed the unusual opening stretch to planned renovations at the stadium but was unable to provide details about the work.
Reporters have spent much of the 2026 season working from a temporary press area in the expanded north-end stands rather than the stadium’s traditional press box. The upcoming renovations may include a permanent solution to that arrangement.
A sprint to the playoffs
After opening with four straight road matches, RSL will play five of its next six at home, beginning with FC Dallas and St. Louis City SC on consecutive Saturdays.
A trip to Vancouver on April 3 interrupts the homestand before the LA Galaxy, Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United visit Sandy over an 11-day span.
The Sprint Season is part of MLS’s transition to a summer-to-spring calendar, with each club playing its 14 conference opponents once, seven at home and seven away.
Unlike the 2026 postseason format, there will be no play-in game. The top eight teams in each conference will advance directly to a single-elimination playoff bracket beginning May 15, with MLS Cup scheduled for May 29.
Despite its abbreviated length, the Sprint Season will crown an MLS champion and determine qualification for the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup.
Rocky Mountain Cup uncertainty
The March 6 visit to Colorado presents another question: Will the Rocky Mountain Cup be contested during the abbreviated season?
RSL and the Rapids are scheduled to meet only once, and supporter groups have begun discussing whether the rivalry trophy should be awarded.
The Cup faced a similar controversy during the COVID-disrupted 2020 season.
RSL defeated Colorado 2-0 at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, but the match was excluded from the Rocky Mountain Cup competition, despite counting toward the MLS regular-season standings.
Instead, the trophy was contested over the two subsequent meetings. RSL won 4-1 in Colorado before the Rapids responded with a 5-0 victory in Utah, claiming the Cup on goal differential.
Had the Orlando result counted, RSL would have won the Cup with two victories in three meetings, rather than losing the trophy on goal differential.
With MLS awarding a championship before transitioning to its new calendar in the fall, individual supporters from both clubs who spoke with KSL Sports expect the match to count toward the Rocky Mountain Cup. However, the supporter group representatives responsible for determining the competition’s format have yet to reach a formal agreement.
Decision Day at home
Every Sprint Season match will be available on Apple TV. Season tickets are already on sale, and single-match tickets are expected to become available in early January.
RSL closes the Sprint Season with a May 1 trip to Austin before hosting Houston Dynamo on May 8 for Decision Day.
The Western Conference playoff field will be determined that evening, with the opening round scheduled just one week later.
RSL 2027 Sprint season schedule
All times Mountain. Home matches in bold.
Feb. 21: RSL at Seattle Sounders, 3 p.m.
Feb. 27: RSL at San Diego FC, 8 p.m.
March 6: RSL at Colorado Rapids, 2 p.m.
March 13: RSL at San Jose Earthquakes, 8 p.m.
March 20: FC Dallas at RSL, 7 p.m.
March 27: St. Louis City SC at RSL, 7 p.m.
April 3: RSL at Vancouver Whitecaps, 8 p.m.
April 7: LA Galaxy at RSL, 7 p.m.
April 10: Sporting Kansas City at RSL, 7 p.m.
April 17: Minnesota United at RSL, 7 p.m.
April 21: RSL at LAFC, 8 p.m.
April 24: Portland Timbers at RSL, 7 p.m.
May 1: RSL at Austin FC, 6 p.m.
May 8: Houston Dynamo at RSL, 7 p.m. (Decision Day)
2027 MLS Sprint season playoff schedule
Single-elimination format. Top eight teams in each conference qualify.
May 15: First Round (Conference Quarterfinals)
May 19: Conference Semifinals
May 22: Conference Finals
May 29: MLS Cup Final
All dates subject to change.
