Editing MLS SuperDraft (section)

==History==
From 1996 to 1999, all American players graduating college were entered into the '''MLS College Draft''', and were eligible to be selected by all [[Major League Soccer]] teams.  Players who had already graduated from college were entered into a separate [[MLS Supplemental Draft]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}  The division between the two was eliminated in 2000, when they were combined into a single MLS SuperDraft. Originally created to ensure strict parity in the league, the draft was designed to allow weaker clubs to develop their rosters. The first SuperDraft was held in 2000, and since then has become the primary draft of the league. Recently, the draft has been considered to be secondary to youth academies.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walter|first=Tyler|title=MLS SuperDraft: Why the Rise of Youth Academies Causes the Draft To Be Obsolete|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/566827-mls-superdraft-why-the-rise-of-youth-academies-causing-the-draft-to-be-obsolete|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=[[Bleacher Report]]|date=January 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=McCarthy|first=Kyle|title=Monday MLS Breakdown: Academy Programs Increasingly Influence SuperDraft Pool|url=http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2010/12/13/2259080/monday-mls-breakdown-academy-programs-increasingly-influence|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=Goal.com USA|date=December 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Let's abandon the MLS draft|url=https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/blog/_/name/bradley_jeff/id/6021544|work=ESPN.com|access-date=July 17, 2011|date=January 14, 2011}}</ref>

The importance of the SuperDraft waned in the 2010s as MLS teams established their own [[youth academy]] systems and acquired young players from other leagues. The [[2020 MLS SuperDraft]] was conducted exclusively by conference calls and online streaming for the first time.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Creditor |first=Avi |date=January 9, 2020 |title=The Highs and Lows of a Dwindling MLS SuperDraft |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/09/mls-superdraft-robinson-maher-skype-beckham-miami-nashville |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |access-date=January 9, 2020}}</ref>