The J. League executive committee on Tuesday decided to open the 2017 J1 season Feb. 25 and end it Dec. 2.
The J. League first division is going back to a single stage next year, abandoning the hugely unpopular two-stage system after just two seasons. The league is planning to squeeze in a summer break of around 10 days somewhere on the calendar.
Looking ahead to the under-23 Olympic soccer tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Games, the league is also considering forcing clubs to field at least one under-21 player in League Cup games.