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Potential changes to college soccer - BostonCard - 10-16-2025

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/46615055/us-soccer-stretch-men-ncaa-season-full-academic-year

To be clear this is more of a USA soccer wishlist not NCAA plans.  Ironically, some of the more sensible options (regional and quality team groupings with a promotion/relegation-like system) is much harder to implement due to the conferences, and stuff that is not as good for student athletes (ie year round play) could be approved more easily. I’m open to many of the suggestions, but think we ought to be clear that the primary purpose of college athletics is not to train future national teams (notwithstanding how good Stanford seems to be at it).

BC

RE: Potential changes to college soccer - fullmetal - 10-16-2025

(10-16-2025, 10:14 AM)BostonCard Wrote:  https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/46615055/us-soccer-stretch-men-ncaa-season-full-academic-year

To be clear this is more of a USA soccer wishlist not NCAA plans.  Ironically, some of the more sensible options (regional and quality team groupings with a promotion/relegation-like system) is much harder to implement due to the conferences, and stuff that is not as good for student athletes (ie year round play) could be approved more easily. I’m open to many of the suggestions, but think we ought to be clear that the primary purpose of college athletics is not to train future national teams (notwithstanding how good Stanford seems to be at it).

You buried the lede on JT Batson '05: 
Quote:"The recommendations were designed to be able to deliver a better student athlete experience, to be able to provide financial stability, and to provide player development opportunities -- which are the three things that everyone in college sports said they wanted," U.S. Soccer CEO and secretary general JT Batson told ESPN.

Batson was not part of the committee. Dan Helfrich, principal and former CEO of Deloitte Consulting, chaired the group, which included club and league leaders from MLS, NWSL and USL, as well as athletic directors and a school president, among other stakeholders.

And:
Quote:JT holds a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, where he earned the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award. He now serves on Stanford’s Undergraduate Cabinet and has guest lectured at the University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and Graduate School of Business.

He wasn't a student-athlete at Stanford, but he has experience with Stanford Athletics along with an impressive resume: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2022/09/jt-batson-named-new-ceo-secretary-general-for-the-us-soccer-federation

It will be the 20th reunion for the Class of 2005 this weekend, and he might be around.

RE: Potential changes to college soccer - Jamesy - 10-16-2025

(10-16-2025, 10:14 AM)BostonCard Wrote:  https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/46615055/us-soccer-stretch-men-ncaa-season-full-academic-year

To be clear this is more of a USA soccer wishlist not NCAA plans.  Ironically, some of the more sensible options (regional and quality team groupings with a promotion/relegation-like system) is much harder to implement due to the conferences, and stuff that is not as good for student athletes (ie year round play) could be approved more easily. I’m open to many of the suggestions, but think we ought to be clear that the primary purpose of college athletics is not to train future national teams (notwithstanding how good Stanford seems to be at it).

BC

Why do you think year round play is not good for student athletes? My understanding is that it allows them to only play one game/week rather than two to decrease overall wear and tear. They're already playing a spring season as it is.

RE: Potential changes to college soccer - BostonCard - 10-16-2025

It’s a good point and it might be necessary in order to shift to week end only play, in which case it may be an acceptable compromise.  That being said, athletes usually take a lighter academic load during the season and load up on classes in the off-season, so it will be harder to do if the season runs all year long.

BC

RE: Potential changes to college soccer - oldalum - 10-16-2025

There's been talk for some time of doing the pre-conference games in the fall and conference matches in the spring, to reduce injuries and fatigue, and have a better balance of academics and sports. Our Coach Ratcliffe has been a proponent of that.

RE: Potential changes to college soccer - M T - 10-16-2025

(10-16-2025, 07:56 PM)BostonCard Wrote:  It’s a good point and it might be necessary in order to shift to week end only play, in which case it may be an acceptable compromise.  That being said, athletes usually take a lighter academic load during the season and load up on classes in the off-season, so it will be harder to do if the season runs all year long.

Think of all the extra frequent flier miles they'd get for twice as many cross-country flights.  Or, would it be bonus points for staying in hotels on the other side of the country for four or so extra weeks per year?

RE: Potential changes to college soccer - BostonCard - 10-16-2025

(10-16-2025, 09:15 PM)M T Wrote:  
(10-16-2025, 07:56 PM)BostonCard Wrote:  It’s a good point and it might be necessary in order to shift to week end only play, in which case it may be an acceptable compromise.  That being said, athletes usually take a lighter academic load during the season and load up on classes in the off-season, so it will be harder to do if the season runs all year long.

Think of all the extra frequent flier miles they'd get for twice as many cross-country flights.  Or, would it be bonus points for staying in hotels on the other side of the country for four or so extra weeks per year?

I think part of the recommendation is going back to playing in regional groups, which would mitigate a lot of the worst of the travel.

BC