The 2024 MLS season kicks off Wednesday with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami hosting Real Salt Lake, and it's likely that replacement officials will be working the game.

As of Saturday morning, the league is preparing for that situation after a proposed new collective bargaining agreement was rejected by the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), the labor union that represents MLS, NWSL, and USL officials.

According to the PSRA, of the 97.8% of eligible members who voted, 95.8% voted "no" to ratify a Feb. 14 proposed tentative agreement.

Due to this, the Professional Referees Organization (PRO), the referees' employer, is set to lock out MLS officials beginning at 12:01 a.m, ET on Feb. 18.