First established in 1997, Generation Adidas is a joint venture between MLS and adidas to increase the level of youth soccer in America. The program encourages players to leave college early for the SuperDraft,
and signs them to professional contracts. These contracts are usually a great deal higher than the league minimum and also provide collegiate scholarships for the players after their career is over.
Not only does Generation Adidas give the players incentive to take the next step, but it gives teams incentive to select them. Players on a team’s roster under Generation Adidas contracts count as supplemental players. This means they will not count against the team’s salary cap.
Previously, Generation Adidas was only open to U.S players. But in 2017, MLS introduced Canadian Generation Adidas as part of a new initiative with the Canadian Soccer Association. Canadian players count as domestic players for U.S teams.
