CONCACAF Champions League 2019 - Everybody Else

[troy1982]

Why does it have to finish before their play-offs? Why can't the quarters and semis happen during their play-offs with the final happening after, like in Europe?

The CCL has always been set-up to avoid the 2 Liga MX playoffs and the MLS playoffs.
That's why the group stages were in the summer and the knock rounds ended in the 1st week in May.
any change to the format will also have to live with those restrictions. The reason is that it's better for the competition to have it's big teams focus on it and not their domestic league as would if it happened in the playoffs.