as an "open" pyramid. This basically means that through the mechanism of promotion and relegation, teams/clubs can move up or down levels in the pyramid.

Let's take the English Football Association (FA) as an example. The FA has divisions as levels in the pyramid, represented as "leagues". So at the very top of the pyramid is the first division, known in branding terms as the Premier League. 20 teams. The bottom three teams in the PL table based upon end of season competition position are automatically relegated down to the 2nd division. And the top two in the 2nd Division are promoted up to the Premier League, and 3rd and 4th place 2nd Division teams go into a playoff game for that final 3rd promotion spot. And so on down the levels of a pyramid. Teams can fall over successive seasons through multiple levels and similarly rise. Its fluid. This is what "open" means.

MLS, on the other hand, does not have this open, fluid movement through the levels of its (not as well defined yet) pyramid. MLS is our Division 1 league. But its club membership is closed. An ownership buys into its league as an owner-operator, whereby player contracts are owned by the league (single entity).

I think I got this basically, essentially correct.