MLS NEXT: 135 clubs, 14,000 players. About 30 are actual MLS academies. The other 105 are private clubs charging $3,000-plus a season for a roster spot inside an MLS-branded league. A few dozen Homegrown contracts get signed each year. The other 13,000 kids get a logo on the jersey and an invoice in the inbox. The league is the marketing layer. Development is still parent-paid.