In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between two divisions based on their performance that season. The best-ranked teams in the lower division are promoted to the division above, and at the same time, the worst-ranked teams in the higher division are relegated to the division below (in some countries play-offs are also used). This process can continue through several levels, with teams being exchanged between levels 1 and 2, levels 2 and 3, levels 3 and 4, and so on. Sometimes, qualifying rounds are used to promote and relegate.

The number of teams exchanged between the divisions is normally identical. Exceptions occur when the higher division wishes to change the size of its membership, or has lost one or more of its clubs (to financial insolvency, for example) and wishes to restore its previous membership size, in which case fewer teams may be relegated from that division, or more accepted for promotion from the division below. Such variations will almost inevitably cause a "knock-on" effect through the lower divisions. For example, in 1995 the Premier League voted to reduce its numbers by two and achieved the desired change by relegating four teams instead of the usual three, whilst allowing only two promotions from Football League Division One.

Peter Wilt (born in McHenry, Illinois), is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular. Wilt is most known for his work with the Chicago Fire, where he gained a reputation for being a fan-friendly businessman in the soccer world.

He is also known as the Patron Saint of The Highbury, a sports bar in Milwaukee where he is known to appear frequently, where he invented Schlabst, Milwaukee's Black and Tan. A mixture of bottled Schlitz beer and canned Pabst, poured into a pint glass. He also regularly spends time at Club Lago, an Italian restaurant in Chicago and has been known to regard it as his second office. Wilt was known for answering questions from fans through the BigSoccer Internet message boards, and now maintains his own blog on Chicago soccer issues.

In 2005, Wilt left the Fire after Anschutz Entertainment Group, the team's owner, replaced him with John Guppy. In 2006, he became the chief executive officer of Milwaukee Professional Soccer (a group bidding to bring an MLS franchise to Milwaukee), but left the position to become CEO of the Chicago Red Stars Chicago's Women's Professional Soccer team that started play in 2009. After one season, Wilt left the Red Stars for a front office position with the Milwaukee Wave. After one season with the Wave, Wilt founded the now defunct expansion MISL side Chicago Riot.

Don Garber (born October 9, 1957 in Flushing, Queens) is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league administration. In 1999, he was named Commissioner of Major League Soccer after spending 16 years with the National Football League.

Garber began his career in the sports business working for the National Wheelchair Athletic Association as the head of public relations before moving on to the public relations firm Ruder Finn and then Burson-Marsteller. While at Burson-Marsteller, he represented M&M Mars and met with the NFL about M&M Mars becoming a sponsor of the league. That meeting led to an offer from the NFL to be one of its first salespeople.

Garber spent 16 years with the National Football League, finishing his tenure as the senior vice president/managing director of NFL International, where he oversaw all aspects of the NFL's business outside the United States, including the NFL Europe League. Garber began his career at NFL Properties in 1984 as a marketing manager and became the League's director of marketing in 1988. In 1992, he was appointed the NFL's senior vice president of business development and was responsible for a variety of television, special event and marketing activities.

Bruce McGuire (born 1962) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Balmain Tigers and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Originally from Nowra, he is a member of the Shoalhaven Sporting Hall of Fame.