The proposal, backed by representatives from other party leaderships, aims to "expressly incorporate sporting merit among the obligations that national sports associations must observe" and ensure promotion and relegation are enshrined in Mexican law. Senator Castañeda stated that the initiative is critical for opening up opportunities for players, staff, and sports projects to grow in a country that needs to open up opportunities. The senator said that she invited the president of the Liga MX, Francisco Iturbide, and the commissioner of the Mexican football, Mikel Arriola, and they declined.
The debate over the absence of promotion and relegation in Mexican soccer has reached the floor of the country's Senate, where officials announced that a legislative reform to restore the system will be proposed on Tuesday. The move comes after several second-division clubs began protesting to demand that authorities honor the agreement to reinstate the system. The Mexican Football Federation stated that returning to the system was impossible because the necessary economic conditions did not yet exist.
The elimination of promotion directly affected new investors in Mexican soccer. Cancún FC was acquired in 2022 by an investment group led by figures like former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow on the premise that promotion would return. The owner of Club América – one of Mexico's most powerful clubs and arguably its most influential decision-maker – stated last month that he supports reinstating the system, provided the right conditions are met.
The Mexican National Antitrust Commission (CNA) has launched an investigation into potential monopolistic practices in the Mexican league centering on the absence of a promotion and relegation system. The next step will be for the Senate to discuss and vote on the proposed legislative reform, which could potentially lead to the reinstatement of promotion and relegation in Mexican soccer.