Right in the midst of Heineken Rivalry Week, Major League Soccer bested several rivals of its own on Wednesday, winning Sports League of the Year at the 2016 Sports Business Awards.
MLS beat out five other leagues -- American Athletic Conference, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, National Basketball Association and PGA Tour -- for the award.
The award was accepted by MLS Commissioner Don Garber at the annual ceremony in New York City.
MLS previously was named the League of the Year in 2008.
In addition to the league, the MLS Cup-winning Portland Timbers were nominated for Team of the Year, but lost out to the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The San Jose Earthquakes' Avaya Stadium was up for Sports Facility of the Year, which went to the Daytona International Speedway. And Orlando City were nominated for Sports Breakthrough of the Year, awarded to The Players' Tribune.
Founded in 2008, The Sports Business Awards, organized by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, are presented annually to recognize the best in the sports industry.
