Football Federation Australia (FFA) chief executive David Gallop has used the 2016-17 A-League launch to promise expansion to 12 teams in the near future.
Until recently, growth was off the agenda for the next four years as FFA prioritised stabilising the 10 existing teams.
But on the eve of an anticipated 12th season and amid calls from high-profile voices including Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou, Gallop declared an intention to strike while the iron is hot.
"Expansion will come sooner rather than later," Gallop said in Sydney on Tuesday. "10 teams is not enough to have in our competition.
"We want to move to 12 teams relatively quickly."
The "ultimate prize" in the long term is promotion and relegation, with Gallop citing the FFA Cup as having already partly closed the gulf between Australia's top flight and the second-tier NPL.
That has no time frame and to do so FFA would have to re-negotiate the clubs' existing licences which run until 2034.
But Gallop said the first step was commercial sustainability, namely securing a new TV deal.
FFA will test the market in the coming months after the exclusive negotiating period with current rights holders Fox Sports expired at the end of September.
Free-to-air networks Seven, Nine and Ten are all said to be interested, while the governing body would welcome the inclusion of new English Premier League rights owners Optus and beIn Sports in any bidding war.
Gallop stopped short of confirming FFA's ambitious target of $80 million a year -- double that of the current deal -- still stood.
He said the fact some big Socceroos matches, the Asian Cup and the Asian Champions League would not be included could impact on the value.
"We've got to be confident about our value, we're not necessarily putting a figure on it," he said.
"It is a different package than what we sold last time, but we know the game is growing and it's a sport where an investment from our broadcasters will directly lead to more money for club, which means better playing rosters and better quality."