What's the point of men's college soccer now?

[Guest]

If you don't have a kid who plays, is there any reason why anyone should care about men's college soccer? It's run as a business or almost pro league, with international players being pulled in to fill most of the slots because coaches need wins. Except as a semi-pro product, it's a terrible product. If I'm going to watch men's soccer, there are so many better options.

This can be said about every professional women's sport.

Whether you watch it or not, no one cares what you choose.

[Guest]

If you don't have a kid who plays, is there any reason why anyone should care about men's college soccer? It's run as a business or almost pro league, with international players being pulled in to fill most of the slots because coaches need wins. Except as a semi-pro product, it's a terrible product. If I'm going to watch men's soccer, there are so many better options.

You're not rooting for kids from your college or high school or state, or kids you know because you played for or against in tournaments in high school.

This is a disease that affects many sports. There's no connection to the team or the players. Pro ball is mostly "rooting for the uniforms" in some years with the high player turnover.

Women's sports have yet to fully make the shift to that, but it seems inevitable as long as the "college sports are a business" mentality dominates and gets bigger.

Bizarre question... What is the point of anything? I am pretty sure the point is - kids go to college and they enjoy playing soccer, so why not do both? It isn't really that complicated.

[Guest]

This can be said about every professional women's sport.

Whether you watch it or not, no one cares what you choose.

Womens soccer is worth watching for the soccer, though more so the NT.

And there’s much more of a connection - at every level, womens soccer has players that you’ve heard of since they were in HS. Some grew up around here.

That is all much less true for mens college soccer.

[Guest]

Womens soccer is worth watching for the soccer, though more so the NT.

And there’s much more of a connection - at every level, womens soccer has players that you’ve heard of since they were in HS. Some grew up around here.

That is all much less true for mens college soccer.

The fans of men's soccer disagree. Just because you're not one doesn't mean it should be ended

[Guest]

Womens soccer is worth watching for the soccer, though more so the NT.

And there’s much more of a connection - at every level, womens soccer has players that you’ve heard of since they were in HS. Some grew up around here.

That is all much less true for mens college soccer.

Honestly it’s not great soccer but the connection factor you mentioned with it being mostly American players is good.

[Guest]

Womens soccer is worth watching for the soccer, though more so the NT.

And there’s much more of a connection - at every level, womens soccer has players that you’ve heard of since they were in HS. Some grew up around here.

That is all much less true for mens college soccer.

You must have a daughter who plays soccer. I don't know the name of a single girl's HS soccer player, other than a few on the team at my kid's HS, who he grew up with, and don't know any women's college players aside from those on the NT. On the boys side of things, I can tell you tons of names of kids on the local MLSNext academy teams, plus many of the top players at MLS academies around the country, including those that make it to the YNTs. It's interesting to see where these kids end up, many of them wind up on college teams. Don't assume nobody follows men's soccer just because you don't. I'm sure if I had a girl playing, I would be much more knowledgable about the girls side than the boys.

[Guest]

Bizarre question... What is the point of anything? I am pretty sure the point is - kids go to college and they enjoy playing soccer, so why not do both? It isn't really that complicated.

Obviously go well beyond dollars and cents. If it was only about the money then only the top football and basketball conferences would run and not much else. Athletics attracts good students - and outside of stereotyped dumb football players, athletes in these smaller sports usually have very high graduation rates and grades - it creates campus community, and keeps needed alumni donations flowing. Yes the fancy football team facilities and big coach salaries are absurd, but most smaller sports programs are really not that expensive to run and are a drop in the bucket in a school's overall operating budget.

[Guest]

Womens soccer is worth watching for the soccer, though more so the NT.

And there’s much more of a connection - at every level, womens soccer has players that you’ve heard of since they were in HS. Some grew up around here.

That is all much less true for mens college soccer.

The mens game of soccer (college included) is much older and more mature around the world than the womens game. There are European clubs over 100 years old. And a lot of that is because of sexism, but I’ll digress. In the mens game, the US is a relative Johnny come lately to soccer (most college programs started in the 1970’s or 1980’s) so for decades mens college coaches here had to go abroad for talent where they could find it in spades. The other factor that worked against mens college soccer was Title IV because it limited scholarships to 7 in D1. It’s makes more sense for a US athlete to pursue football, basketball, or other sports then if they need scholarships because the odds are better in those sports.

On the womens side, Title IV was a huge benefit because it gave soccer an outsized share of scholarships (14 in D1). And because there were fewer internationals to compete against (that sexism thing), the US players got all the spots until recently.

I’ll say that if womens soccer had the same history and number of scholarships as mens soccer, there would be no TS, no pay to play kiddie clubs like Stars, NEFC, etc., nobody caring about womens college soccer, and the NT wouldn’t be so dominant.

[Guest]

The other factor that worked against mens college soccer was Title IV because it limited scholarships to 7 in D1. It’s makes more sense for a US athlete to pursue football, basketball, or other sports then if they need scholarships because the odds are better in those sports.

Men's soccer actually has 9.9 scholarships.

[Guest]

Men's soccer actually has 9.9 scholarships.

Yes, if fully funded which not all are. Then take out 5 scholarships for international players and account for 30 players...net/net there's very little athletic money for male players.

As for the poster's claim that athletes pursue other sports because of better athletic money, that isn't true for most. They pursue other sports because they enjoy them/are good at them/ and the sports are more popular. No doubt the hope of extreme pro salaries in football, basketball and baseball are a dream for many, even if not realistic.

[Guest]

I’ll say that if womens soccer had the same history and number of scholarships as mens soccer, there would be no TS, no pay to play kiddie clubs like Stars, NEFC, etc., nobody caring about womens college soccer, and the NT wouldn’t be so dominant.

We are probably outliers, but I'm leaning against my D playing soccer in college. She's going to choose a school based on other factors, and the way a college sport absorbs all their free time doesn't seem right for her.

But club is still worth it for us because she's learning some important things from playing on a team and training to compete, and has found some good friends. It will make it possible for her to play on her (very competitive) high school varsity team. All that has some social benefits too.

[Guest]

We are probably outliers, but I'm leaning against my D playing soccer in college. She's going to choose a school based on other factors, and the way a college sport absorbs all their free time doesn't seem right for her.

But club is still worth it for us because she's learning some important things from playing on a team and training to compete, and has found some good friends. It will make it possible for her to play on her (very competitive) high school varsity team. All that has some social benefits too.

D1 or D2/D3?

Surprising decision I think, would at-least give it a shot I think. She probably worked really hard to get to this point?

If it’s all talent, no big deal I guess. Good-luck.

[Guest]

D1 or D2/D3?

Surprising decision I think, would at-least give it a shot I think. She probably worked really hard to get to this point?

If it’s all talent, no big deal I guess. Good-luck.

Different poster but the future student athlete needs to consider the entire package, not just the sports aspect. Some will weigh criteria differently than others becauseits an individual journey. But it's important to keep in mind no one is going pro and the education and academic experiences are what matter most in the end. Don't severely compromise what's important to you just for sports. As is often repeated, would you go to school x if you weren't playing? If no, move on immediately. If not sure make sure you have many options to find that fit.

[Guest]

The problem is pretty complex and really is about the goals of the institution and the individual sport. For soccer, College is becoming less and less of a way to the pros. So that means that most colleges players are playing for the school as their last competitive dream.

But for the coaches, again depending on level, you have some competing interests since your players have no where to go when the graduate and your AD isn't judging you that way. For the Mid/High level D1 you have two goal: Make the NCAAs often enough and get a high graduation rate. For D2 and D3, it's primarily graduation rate. So what you get are Mid/High level D1 coaches making sure they have the right talent to make the NCAA and that means going out of country. For the rest, it's more about the ambition of the coach since graduation rate is primary - in these schools if you are trying to get to a D1 job, you need to win - so go get more foreign players since you're a short timer anyway.

American Football is different since it's still the main pathway to the pros, but basketball is changing. Don't get me started on womens' sports - it's a totally different animal.

[Guest]

If you don't have a kid who plays, is there any reason why anyone should care about men's college soccer? It's run as a business or almost pro league, with international players being pulled in to fill most of the slots because coaches need wins. Except as a semi-pro product, it's a terrible product. If I'm going to watch men's soccer, there are so many better options.

You're not rooting for kids from your college or high school or state, or kids you know because you played for or against in tournaments in high school.

This is a disease that affects many sports. There's no connection to the team or the players. Pro ball is mostly "rooting for the uniforms" in some years with the high player turnover.

Women's sports have yet to fully make the shift to that, but it seems inevitable as long as the "college sports are a business" mentality dominates and gets bigger.

Says the parent who had no problem shelling out $50k to the youth soccer BUSINESS.