How often does the front page of ESPN.com have 2 D3 stories at once. Right now Rick Reilly's column is about Grinnell basketball and one of the video stories links to a 4+ minute segment on Gallaudet.

There is no doubt soccer is growing as a professional sport in this country 40 years after it really started growing as a youth sport. We will see how far it gets. I think MLS will eventually overtake the NHL, but I wouldn't get my hopes up for overtaking MLB, NCAA basketball, NBA, NCAA football, or the NFL in any kind of national popularity.

All that being said, to be a major sport I don't think it needs to overtake those sports, and it is nice to see soccer highlights on ESPN, games (even if they are mostly European) on TV every weekend on both network and cable channels, and the undeniably growing popularity of the USMNT, with a sidebar to the successful popularity of the USWMNT (even if we can't make a women's pro league stick). Heck, when I was growing up we couldn't even watch the World Cup ('86 and '90), now the U.S. broadcast rights are some of the most expensive in the world.

We'll see how the continued growth of MLS works out and if the league can continue a climb to global respectability if not relevance. In order to do so, the TV contracts will need to continue to grow to allow for more player compensation, and in order for that to happen MLS needs to turn its strong local fanbases into a more national audience.

Either way, professional soccer is here to stay rather than just the brief cameo it had in the late 70s and early 80s. The question will be how big can it get?

Did I see a stat somewhere that all of Division III amounted to something like 6% of the NCAA's total budget?

Here's the expense breakdown for 2011/2012:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Finances/Finances+Expenses

Here's the revenue for the same period:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Finances/Revenue

With 81% of revenue coming from Television and Marketing Rights (Division 1 primarily), the 3% spent on DIII championships and programs is a gift. I'm assuming part of the 13% spent association wide, 3% limited liability, and 4% spent on General and Admin can be pro-rated to DIII expenses as well. 6% probably is not unreasonable.

$25.3 million is spent on D3, including 18.7 for championships.

Quote from: smedindy on November 21, 2013, 11:31:55 am

Just throwing this out here: How about Selby Stadium at OWU? Close enough to Columbus, historic and can hold 9,000 and has a large press box.

If you are going to host it in OH, might as well use Fawcett Stadium in Canton. 

The last time this topic got hot and bothered someone promised that Fawcett at Canton was going to be bidding. I guess that fell through.

I feel worse for Rhodes than I do TLU. The only reason the SAA winner didn't get a playoff invite is because they are a year away. Rhodes had quality wins, Millsaps, Centre, and Chicago, and lost two games by 4 points total, including a game to a playoff team. Granted the loss to BSC is a little ugly, but a road OT loss to a .500 team by a failed 2pt conversion is a heck of a lot more sympathetic than a 30+ pt loss to an under .500 team. 1-1 against RR teams is playoff worthy as well.

Oh well, the SAA knew the drill when they gave up the A for a few years. Still, if any team deserves sympathy, it's probably Rhodes who was the only 7 or more team conference champion not to go to the playoffs.

Quote from: GRIZ_BACKER on November 20, 2013, 09:27:43 am

I wonder what the over/under is on the last post complaining about the selection process?  Thanksgiving Day? 

Ummm... Some here are still discussing 1983.

+K. Maybe it's part of Wabash Always Fights? I mean, always could imply 1983, 2010, and 2013 will never end? Couldn't resist.

Quote from: jknezek on October 16, 2013, 01:10:45 pm

Quote from: GarbageGoals33 on October 16, 2013, 12:48:52 pm

I agree that the African teams are always extremely athletic. Their biggest issue is being organized.  I think Bob Bradley is helping bring that kind of stability to the Egypt program but I don't think they have the quality in players to hang with Mexico.  Personally I think it is funny to watch the demise of Mexico, after the Gold Cup a few years ago when they crushed us 4-2 I was certain they would be the top CONCACAF seed for qualifying and have the chance to be seeded for the World Cup.

Mexico's problem has always been in their heads. In this case, their heads told them winning the previous gold cup in a walk, winning the Olympics, cruising through early qualifying had them on easy street. And they choked. Once the pressure turned on, Mexico does what it often does, they fell apart. They are technically and physically gifted, but mentally they are one of the weakest of the better teams in the world. It shows when the pressure turns up, and it almost always has. I'm not sure how they correct it, but I sure hope it never happens, otherwise they have the quality to be a true force.

I always think of Mexico as I used to think of Spain (prior to the last 8 years of course). Or as a lot of people think of Portugal. The talent is always there to be a final eight or final four team, the mindset never is.

Mexico made it official -- they're in-- again, (barely).  El Tri's been doing better of late, the question is, how long can that consistency continue? 

Like most teams, it will depend on the group. They certainly aren't going to strike fear in anyone's heart. They need to settle on a coach and a style that will work for them offensively. It's a big task but the talent is there to at least get out of a group as they usually do.