MLS releases playoff schedule

The tentative MLS Playoff dates were announced on Friday, and they looked rather ominous for Seattle Sounders fans hoping to avoid having to watch their team play on top of football lines as both legs of the conference championship were scheduled days when the Seahawks are playing at home (Nov 22 vs 49ers, Nov 29 vs Steelers).

While that would obviously necessitate a date change regardless, moving the game to Saturday would likely put the Sounders in the same situation they are in this week.

But take heart, ye haters of gridiron lines, I've been told that if the Sounders qualify for the conference finals their home leg will most likely be played on a Monday or a Tuesday. Playing after the Seahawks instead of before would allow for plenty of time for football lines to be removed. The determining factor of which day the game is to be played will likely be if Fox or ESPN is the broadcaster. ESPN, of course, has Monday Night Football and would likely avoid counter-programming against itself. Fox, however, would probably prefer to have a live broadcast on a Monday.

The Sounders hosted FC Dallas on a Monday in last year's Western Conference semifinals, drawing a crowd of 38,912.

All that said, here's the playoff schedule as it stands today:

Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs National Broadcast Schedule:

*Subject to change. Note: TSN and RDS networks will air matches involving the Canadian MLS clubs and select additional matches.

Knockout Round

(Conference Third seed vs. Sixth and Fourth seed vs. Fifth seed in a single knockout match; Clubs have the option of broadcasting their own Knockout Round match in market on English-language TV.)

Wed., Oct. 28

• TBD (UniMás; English-language SAP)
• TBD (UniMás; English-language SAP)

Thurs., Oct. 29

• TBD (UniMás; English-language SAP)
• TBD (UniMás; English-language SAP)

Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals

(Two-game series, aggregate-goal format between ConferenceFfirst seed vs. lowest advancing seed from Knockout Round and Second seed vs. highest seed from Knockout Round)

First Leg - Sunday, Nov. 1

• 3 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• 5 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• 7 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)
• 9:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

Second Leg - Sunday, Nov. 8

• 3 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• 5 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)
• 10:00 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

Conference Championships

(Two-game series, aggregate-goal format)

First Leg - Sunday, Nov. 22

• 5 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

Second Leg - Sunday, Nov. 29

• 5 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
• 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

2015 MLS Cup

Sunday, December 6 (hosted by finalist with best regular season record)

• 4 p.m. ET (ESPN, UniMás, TSN, and RDS networks)