Groff, Hunter2016-10-142016-10-142016-06https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2029247 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Business and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2016.In the quest for international soccer relevancy, MLS faces strong competition. Established European soccer leagues and strong domestic competition from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL create steep barriers for league growth. To boost its international profile, MLS created the Designated Player (DP) Rule in 2007. This rule resulted in increased average salary and wage dispersion among the existing teams. This study examines the effects of these large wage changes on team performance. In the constructed model, the results of this increased wage dispersion remain inconclusive. Nonetheless, although the results from the average salary and team performance examination stand just outside the significance test cutoff, this model presents similar findings to previous literature in finding a substantial positive relationship between the two.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USMajor League SoccerSoccerDavid BeckhamDesignated Player RuleWage inequalityTeam performanceBeckham RuleThesis / Dissertation