Don Garber

Don Garber
Garber in 2017
2nd Commissioner of Major League Soccer
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 4, 1999
Preceded byDoug Logan
Personal details
Born (1957-10-09) October 9, 1957 (age 66)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationState University of New York, Oneonta (BA)

Donald P. Garber[1] (born October 9, 1957) is an American sports executive who has served as the Commissioner of Major League Soccer since 1999. Garber is also the CEO of Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors.[2]

Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, events, television, and league administration prior to becoming MLS commissioner. Before joining MLS, Garber was with the National Football League for 16 years.

Under his leadership, MLS has experienced sustained growth in size and popularity in the United States and Canada. During his tenure, MLS has expanded from 10 to 30 teams and set records for attendance and broadcast revenue.[3]

In addition, the league has seen significant increases in every metric – including team valuations, attendance, sponsorship, and digital and social media engagement. MLS ranks seventh among global soccer leagues in average game attendance.[4]

Garber has been selected by SportsBusiness Journal as one of the sports industry's most powerful executives every year since 2005. In 2022, he was 16th on the list.[5] In 2016, SportsBusiness Journal presented MLS with its award for League of the Year.[6] In May 2019, Garber was named the Sports Business Journal Executive of the Year.[7] In 2021, SBJ named the MLS is Back Tournament – when the league became the second major U.S. team sports league to return to play during the pandemic after the NWSL – the Sports Event of the Year.[8] Garber has received numerous other industry honors, and in 2011 was named by the Los Angeles Times as one of the top sports commissioners. He has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from both Montclair State University and the State University of New York. Garber was also inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at his alma mater, SUNY Oneonta.[9] Garber was elected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2016, but deferred his enshrinement until 2018.[10][11] In 2023, Garber received the Werner Fricker Award – U.S. Soccer's highest honor for an individual.[12]

  1. ^ "Don Garber". Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "Chatting with the Don of MLS". March 17, 2011.
  3. ^ Baxter, Kevin (March 7, 2016). "MLS Commissioner Don Garber isn't celebrating triumphs; he's too focused on the future". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  4. ^ Smith, Chris. "MLS Kicks Off 2017 Season With New Sponsorship From Kellogg's". Forbes. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  5. ^ "Most Influential". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  6. ^ "Sports Business Awards: MLS Wins Sports League Of The Year". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. May 19, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  7. ^ "SBA". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "MLS is Back Tournament wins SBJ's Sports Event of the Year | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. ^ "The Official Website of the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons". www.oneontaathletics.com.
  10. ^ "Brandi Chastain, Shannon MacMillan and Don Garber Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2016". www.ussoccer.com.
  11. ^ "FIVE MEMBERS OF 2018 CLASS OF THE NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCED". US Soccer. May 31, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  12. ^ "U.S. Soccer Names MLS Commissioner Don Garber As 2022 Werner Fricker Builder Award Winner". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.