ISC Statement on 2020 Supporters Shield

MLS Supporters and friends:

We've seen and heard your reactions and responses to yesterday's announcement regarding the awarding of the Supporters Shield, and we wanted to make a few clarifications.

The decision not to award the Shield in this strange and unprecedented season was made by the board of directors of the Supporters Shield Foundation. The Foundation is independent of the Independent Supporters Council, and was established to govern the management and awarding of the Shield.

In 2020, the schedule/matchup imbalances (some teams play only eight other teams while others play as many as 16) and the absence of fans in the stands for the majority of teams led to the decision that no Shield would accurately reflect the best performance over the course of the season. As a result, the Foundation opted not to award a Shield to any team.

We understand that this decision has been confusing and frustrating for many fans throughout the league. ISC Representatives for MLS teams were notified several weeks ago of the decision, with the Shield Foundation's statement finalized on the 16th (and reps notified again of the final language).

Any concerns or questions should be directed to the Shield Foundation at media@supportersshield.org.