Caltech getting into the World Cup by having students explain the physics behind certain shots

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaivjHGBonC/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Interesting interview by D3Sports.com's Patrick Coleman with SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry.

What stuck out to me was Hanberry's statement that Southwestern only approached the SCAC about returning when Millsaps announced it was leaving the SAA for the SCAC.  Not sure why that would be the case, but it suggests the SAA may not be endearing itself to everyone or that Southwestern wanted to get ahead of things once it saw which way the winds were blowing.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 07, 2026, 05:31:14 PMMore SAA -> SCAC chaos:  Southwestern announced it too will return to the SCAC in 2027.  Where that leaves Trinity and the SAA, with the great separation between it and the remaining schools in the east, is yet to be seen.  And there are rumblings that at least two other SAA schools are looking for a new conference partner which, absent drastic action from the so-far silent SAA front office would leave the conference with four members.

I guess the travel was too much for Southwestern, but it's hard to see Trinity staying without a travel partner.  That would be difficult for the other SAA schools as well as Trinity

https://scacsports.com/news/2026-2027/scac_adds_southwestern

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Presidents Council has unanimously approved the return of Southwestern University as a full member of the conference, with the institution set to begin competition during the 2027-28 academic year. Complete Release

The announcement marks a homecoming for Southwestern, which was among the conference's longstanding members before departing in 2025. Its return reunites the institution with longtime conference rivals while reinforcing the SCAC's commitment to regional competition, academic excellence, and an exceptional NCAA Division III student-athlete experience.

"Southwestern University is thrilled to return to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, where our history and values are deeply rooted," said Southwestern University President Laura Trombley. "As intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve, so does Southwestern. Through continued investments in the student-athlete experience, returning to the SCAC reflects who we are today and where we're headed. The conference's commitment to academic excellence, competitive success, and the holistic student-athlete experience makes it an ideal home for our students. We look forward to renewing longtime rivalries, building new relationships, and contributing to the continued strength of this outstanding conference."

Southwestern currently sponsors 20 varsity sports, 18 of which align with the SCAC's sponsorship portfolio. The institution has just over 500 student-athletes competing in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field and volleyball. The school also sponsors men's and women's lacrosse.

SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) accreditation report had updates of note for some D3 schools

QuoteThe SACSCOC Board of Trustees requested a Monitoring Report in six (6) months to provide required oversight and resolution of compliance issues.

Concordia University Texas, Austin, TX

QuoteThe SACSCOC Board of Trustees requested a Monitoring Report in twelve (12) months to provide required oversight and resolution of compliance issues.

Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach, VA

QuoteThe SACSCOC Board of Trustees continued the institution on Warning.

Marymount University, Arlington, VA
For twelve (12) months for failure to comply with Core Requirement 13.1 (Financial
resources) and Standard 13.6 (Federal and state responsibilities) of the Principles of
Accreditation. A Special Committee was not authorized to visit the institution.

Pfeiffer University, Misenheimer, NC
For twelve (12) months for failure to comply with Core Requirement 13.1 (Financial
resources) and Standard 13.3 (Financial responsibility) of the Principles of
Accreditation. A Special Committee was not authorized to visit the institution.

QuoteThe SACSCOC Board of Trustees placed the institution on Probation for Good Cause.

Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
For twelve (12) months for failure to comply with Standard 13.3 (Financial
responsibility) of the Principles of Accreditation. A Special Committee was authorized
to visit the institution

The issue with the decision to reverse the suspension is not really whether it was the right call or not in the first place.  It's whether the disciplinary committee chose to review the punishment and reduce it because of outside pressure or bias. 

As far as the game itself, it certainly will give Belgium extra motivation, but it's an interesting question how much it affected each side because of when it came down.  Both sides developed game plans based on what they knew about who was available.  There's always the chance of injury etc that can disrupt those, so you have to be adaptable, but the US didn't really have a like-for-like sub for Bolagun.  On the one hand, that means Belgium has to change its defensive plan on a day's notice.  On the other hand, it also means the US likely will change its approach that it practiced all week, although it is going back to what it has been playing, so it's an easier transition.  Bottom line is that while Bolagun is very good and clearly our best striker, it's not like he's Erving Haaland (beating Brazil today with a brace!). We weren't doomed without him and we aren't saved with him.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 04, 2026, 06:19:00 PMAnd I hope Vozinha (Cape Verde GK) gets paid somewhere after this.  He doesn't belong in the second division of Portugese ball, but even with his outstanding performance throughout the WC he probably won't get a first division look due to his age. 

Actually, Vozinha is out of contract and came into the World Cup without a club.  Someone definitely needs to pick him up.

That Argentina-Cape Verde game was an instant classic.  It was no low block and chaos ball game by a minnow either.  For many parts of the game, they were legitimately better than Argentina and their second goal to tie up the game in extra time was the most highly skilled, perfect, delivery, of any player on the pitch that night.

Caltech

Another pretty geographically diverse home non-conference schedule for a SCIAC team.  George Fox from the NWC, UC Santa Cruz from the C2C, and Elmhurst from the CCIW (who is playing Whittier the same weekend).  This will be a rebuilding year after the generational duo of Etienne Casanova and Ishaan Mantripragada graduated, although leading scorer and assist man Matthew Luk returns.  Given the clamping down on admissions, however, we'll see if they get any help from the freshmen.

Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on July 03, 2026, 04:59:01 PMAnd then there were 4 continents left. The AFC had a really disappointing tournament. Only 2 of 9 managed to get out of the group stage and both lost in the round of 32.

I don't understand how so many kicks miss the target in a shootout. That's the golden rule on a PK, hit the target and force the goalie make a save. Australia is the latest to break it by only getting 2 of 4 on target.

When your starting center backs are two of your five best shooters from the spot - and one of those CBs is only 18 years-old - you kind of knew you had a problem going into the shootout.  That's probably why Australia should have done more to go for the win before it got to this point.

And I'm not a huge fan of switching goalkeepers to bring on the PK specialist.  I think it works better in D3 where the skills required to succeed during regulation in some styles of play are not the same skills required to succeed in the shootout (see Reuben Burk and Peter Silvester for Conn College in 2021), but not being in the game flow and not having saved some balls before the shootout is a mental disadvantage.

Southwestern

For many years, Southwestern has partnered with Trinity in playing teams invited from out-of-state to play in San Antonio and the Hill Country.  Last year, as they moved to the SAA together, they broke from that and scheduled those non-conference games independently.  They resumed some joint play this season, although Southwestern still has out-of-state visitors not tied to Trinity.  Southwestern is hosting Lynchburg over Labor Day weekend (which also plays Texas Lutheran), but it is also hosting La Verne (which also plays Trinity) and Nebraska Wesleyan (which plays at Austin College the same weekend).  The upshot is that every Southwestern non-conference game is at home this year except for two - at Texas Lutheran (1.5 hour drive) and at East Texas Baptist (4.5 hour drive).  Southwestern only loses three major contributors from last season's 15-2-3 team, but they were MAJOR contributors (top scorers Pinto and Sharma and GK Johnson).

Trinity (TX) (see also Ron Boerger's write-up in the Go WEST thread)

Trinity has a pretty tough set of games to open the season.  Texas Lutheran will be eager to avenge their loss to Trinity in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season where they played Trinity tougher than some of Trinity's more highly-ranked opponents in the NCAA tournament.  TLU also played a lot of freshman in that game who are likely to take another jump with a spring season and summer to develop.  They only lose three starters and none of their top scorers. 

CMS and Oxy in Claremont, CA is also tricky.  CMS had a bad season last year, but they were young and they recruit well.  Oxy was like TLU in terms of youth and only loses four senior contributors, only one of whom started regularly.  Their defense was mostly freshman last season and they are all back. Plus, the CMS field is a wild card.  I think it can be one of the worst in the SCIAC, although it should be less battered in the early season, and somewhat less conducive to Trinity's passing game.  They have plans to build all new soccer fields as part of the new CMC Sports Bowl, Phase 1 of which is supposed to come online this fall, but the soccer fields are in Phase 2. 

La Verne at home should be easier to handle, but they aren't pushovers anymore and they will be a senior-heavy team this season (although the departure of their GK is a big loss).  And even if that is an easy game, finishing non-conference play with @Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, UC Santa Cruz, and Concordia (TX) won't allow them much rest.  It's basically the two best teams in the ASC and teams that usually contend for the top four spots in the C2C and the SCAC.

Texas Lutheran

TLU is certainly challenging itself to start the season, hoping to build on its 2nd round finish at the NCAA Tournament last season.  It opens at Trinity (TX), picking up where it left off in that 2nd round NCAA loss and then it hosts Lynchburg, which is coming off a really strong season (19-2-2) that ended with a narrow 3rd round NCAA tournament loss to Dickinson.  They also play Southwestern, Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, and UC Santa Cruz, all of which could be better than any teams they face in the SCAC other than Colorado College and maybe Concordia (TX) and St. Thomas.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 02, 2026, 12:17:13 PMTrinity

After a home opener against Texas Lutheran, the defending national runner-up Tigers take to the air for a very rare non-conference set of tilts at CMS.  They come back to face La Verne, take a three-hour (if lucky) drive to UMHB, and then return home for the rest of their non-conference schedule against Hardin-Simmons, UC-Santa Cruz, and Concordia.  SAA play opens October 8th at Southwestern.  The only other change is a trip to new SAA member Maryville later that month.  Millsaps makes its final visit to San Antonio the last weekend of the regular season.

Trinity has a pretty tough set of games to open the season.  Texas Lutheran will be eager to avenge their loss to Trinity in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season where they played Trinity tougher than some of Trinity's more highly-ranked opponents in the NCAA tournament.  TLU also played a lot of freshman in that game who are likely to take another jump with a spring season and summer to develop.  They only lose three starters and none of their top scorers. 

CMS and Oxy in Claremont, CA is also tricky.  CMS had a bad season last year, but they were young and they recruit well.  Oxy was like TLU in terms of youth and only loses four senior contributors, only one of whom started regularly.  Their defense was mostly freshman last season and they are all back. Plus, the CMS field is a wild card.  I think it can be one of the worst in the SCIAC and less conducive to Trinity's passing game, although it should be less battered in the early season.  They have plans to build all new soccer fields as part of the new CMC Sports Bowl, Phase 1 of which is supposed to come online this fall, but the soccer fields are in Phase 2. 

La Verne at home should be easier to handle, but they aren't pushovers anymore and they will be a senior-heavy team this season (although the departure of their GK is a big loss).  And even if that is an easy game, finishing non-conference play with @Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, UC Santa Cruz, and Concordia (TX) won't allow them much rest.  It's basically the two best teams in the ASC and teams that usually contend for the top four spots in the C2C and the SCAC.

Quote from: jknezek on July 01, 2026, 10:13:21 PMRough call on Balogun. The injury looks horrific, but I don't think the tackle was worth a red. Going to hurt against Belgium.

It takes out our best goal scorer against Belgium, but our games have proven we have many guys who can score.  It will be interesting to see whether Poch just plugs in Pepi in a like-for-like move or tries something entirely different (especially since Belgium is a very different team and style of play).

Given the growth of the C2C in Virginia/North Carolina with the additions of J&W Charlotte and Regent (once the latter fully transitions), I wouldn't be too surprised if they ditch UC Santa Cruz and Alverno and just form a conference of their own.  It's too bad because UCSC doesn't have a lot of options for conferences that would take them given their size and public status.  They likely would have to go independent, but they play as an independent for regular season scheduling already.  Alverno is only restarting athletics and has a lot of nearby options if they can get somewhat competitive.

Mexico at Azteca is one heck of a home field advantage.  England or the DR Congo are going to have their hands full.

The only comparable in D3 men's soccer might be Colorado College, which hasn't lost a home game since September 1, 2023 (2-1 to Pacific Lutheran).  Colorado College's 6000 feet elevation isn't quite as high as the ~7300 feet of Azteca, nor is the fan base as rabid, but the views of the Rockies from campus are pretty impressive