Former national powerhouse UW-Oshkosh is reviving its men's soccer program. The Titans, who made 14 D3 tourney appearances and reached the Final Four four times before deep-sixing the program after the 2015 season, will end their hiatus after a dozen years by returning to action in 2027.
This will bump up the WIAC to seven teams, with only UW-La Crosse failing to sponsor a varsity men's soccer program within that circuit.
Any word on who will take charge at the helm of Oshkosh?
Quote from: Mr_November on February 18, 2026, 09:07:40 AMAny word on who will take charge at the helm of Oshkosh?
They just announced they would start a "national search" two days ago ...
With the addition of so many men's soccer programs in the WIAC over the last decade (Eau Claire, Stevens Point, Stout, River Falls), you have to wonder how the return of Oshkosh is going to affect the recruiting landscape in the state. Is there enough talent in Wisconsin soccer to supply all of the programs? We've already seen some of the more successful programs going out of state, with Whitewater recruiting some internationally in the last two classes and Eau Claire recruiting throughout the Midwest and even into the Pacific Northwest, while Stevens Point has even gone into Texas for a few recruits and Platteville has twice as many kids from Illinois as Wisconsin (not surprising given its location). It will be interesting to see if any of them regularly attract national recruits given the success of the programs.
These are the longest active winning-seasons streaks in D3 men's soccer:
| Ohio Wesleyan | 55 |
| Messiah | 44 |
| Amherst | 28 |
| North Park | 25 |
All of these programs took the COVID year off from playing soccer, so that's not included in the streaks.
When UW-Oshkosh starts play again in 2027 the Titans will cut in line ahead of Amherst and North Park, since UWO had a 31-season streak going when the school discontinued its men's soccer program in 2015.
Sounds like they are anticipating a new and larger conference of schools in and around NYC. Possible other additions to the conference with Pratt might be schools currently in the Skyline that are in one of the boroughs (e.g., Yeshiva, St. Joseph's Brooklyn).
Pratt moving from Atlantic East to a new and expanded conference with CUNYAC members in 2027 (https://cunyathletics.com/news/2026/2/25/general-pratt-to-join-new-and-expanded-division-iii-conference-in-2027.aspx)
QuotePratt Institute will become the first institution outside the current eight members of the CUNY Athletic Conference to help establish a newly expanded NCAA Division III conference set to begin competition in the 2027–28 academic year. This conference, which is currently in the naming, branding, and incorporation stages, focuses on institutions near New York City. Additional expansion is expected.
The Cannoneers will begin competition in the new conference in 2027-28. Pratt will join Baruch College, Brooklyn College, City College of New York, Hunter College, John Jay College, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, and York College. Pratt is a current member of the Atlantic East Conference and will wrap up membership in that league following the 2026-27 academic year.
"As we look forward to the integration of Pratt, it allows for a more vibrant future and the potential for new and exciting directions for the conference," said Dr. Fernando Delgado, president of Lehman College and chair of the CUNY Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and the presidential leader for this group of schools forming this new conference. "We welcome Pratt and look forward to their participation on and off the fields of competition."
"Pratt, as a future member of this new conference, is monumental for several reasons. First and foremost, they fit with our other institutions in many ways, including but not limited to geographical, sport sponsorship, and competitive levels," said CUNYAC Acting Commissioner Dr. Kurt Patberg. "In addition, they are a well-established, strong academic institution with specialized curricula, like many of our institutions. They are the first private institution of what will hopefully be several others that see this new conference as a great fit."
Pratt Institute, located in Brooklyn, sponsors 14 NCAA Division III sports, including equestrian, and enrolls approximately 5,100 students. The Cannoneers will compete in the new conference in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's and women's volleyball.
Pratt enhances the new conference's presence in New York City as the eight current members reside in the five boroughs of New York City. Pratt joins Brooklyn College and Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. Manhattan (Baruch College, City College of New York, Hunter College, John Jay College, the Bronx (Lehman College) and Queens (York College) are also represented.
"We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter, one that brings Pratt even closer to the heart of New York City and aligns our athletic program with institutions that value both academic creativity and competitive spirit," said Pratt Institute Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Delmy Lendof. "This move to a vibrant, New York City-centered conference is a natural evolution for Pratt, strengthening our ties to the communities we serve across the boroughs,"
"We are thrilled to join this new conference that aligns with our commitment to providing a competitive, student-centered athletic experience in the heart of New York City," added Pratt Director of Athletics Walter Rickard. "This move strengthens our geographical fit, enhances rivalries within the boroughs, and opens exciting opportunities for our student-athletes to compete at a high level while pursuing their creative and academic passions. We look forward to building lasting relationships and contributing to the growth of this conference both on and off the field."
At the recent NCAA meetings, the membership committee approved (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d2/memb/Feb2026D3Memb_Report.pdf)the applications for reclassification of the following schools:
Azusa Pacific (from DII)
St. Francis University (from DI)
and approved an exploratory year for the following:
University of Maine at Augusta (from the USCAA)
Azusa Pacific will be playing in the SCIAC and St. Francis in the PAC
Presumably, University of Maine at Augusta will eventually play in the NAC, but I haven't seen an announcement on that yet
Heck, there's not anything on the UMA athletic or main site about the exploratory year. Usually colleges treat this as a Big Thing which kind of makes you wonder how committed they are to the idea.
I think it's less an indicator of indifference and more likely a matter of UMA lacking a sports information director. The school's athletics page is link-free and totally useless. That's one thing that UMA will have to change if the school eventually join D3; in the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants USCAA, nobody thinks twice about schools being informational wastelands and you thus know nothing about an opponent prior to the opening whistle. And that's not the way it is in D3.
I do look forward to Maine-Augusta joining D3 eventually. The one thing that I did learn about UMA by looking at its website is that the school's teams are called the Moose. Doesn't matter, though, because if UMA joins D3 I shall henceforth be referring to its teams as the Thurmans. ;)
One interesting note about the NCAA granting University of Maine at Augusta's petition for an exploratory year in DIII is that at the same Jan. 26, 2026 meeting that the University of Maine Board of Trustees authorized Augusta to apply for a DIII exploratory year, it also authorized (https://www.maine.edu/board-of-trustees/meeting-actions/#:~:text=The%20Board%20of%20Trustees%20(BOT)%20of%20the,to%20join%20the%20NCAA%20Division%20III%20level)the University of Maine Fort Kent to apply for a DIII exploratory year. There is no indication, however, that such an application was filed or made it to the level that it could be considered by the NCAA's membership committee.
If Maine Augusta and Fort Kent do end up in DIII, that would raise the number of DIII schools in Maine to 13, which is pretty large number for a state that doesn't have a huge population. It already has more DIII schools than states like Michigan and California.
From a men's soccer perspective, Augusta is going to have to seriously increase its recruiting if it is going to compete in DIII. Last season, it went 0-11 and lost twice to the only DIII team it played - Maine Presque-Isle, which had a 4-10-12 record - by 10-0 and 15-0 scores.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 19, 2026, 04:49:36 PMThese are the longest active winning-seasons streaks in D3 men's soccer:
| Ohio Wesleyan | 55 |
| Messiah | 44 |
| Amherst | 28 |
| North Park | 25 |
All of these programs took the COVID year off from playing soccer, so that's not included in the streaks.
When UW-Oshkosh starts play again in 2027 the Titans will cut in line ahead of Amherst and North Park, since UWO had a 31-season streak going when the school discontinued its men's soccer program in 2015.
Trinity(TX) has a 31-year streak. 1994 was their last season below .500 and the Tigers did play a truncated 2020 season in which it went 6-1-1.
Thanks, Ron. The NCAA record book for D3 MSOC does not list the current Trinity (TX) streak. (The longest consecutive-winning-seasons streaks, both current and all-time, are listed on page 18 of that record book. (https://s3.amazonaws.com/fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_soccer_RB/D3.pdf)) North Park's streak isn't listed, either, although we've contacted the NCAA in the past and tried to get them to correct the omission.
I'm not sure this is news that is of interest nationally, but the idea that a New York City DIII school would expand the seating capacity of its field from 70 to 1,300 seems like a good thing not just for Lehman and the CUNYAC, but for DIII generally. That size may make it one of the larger college stadiums in NYC.
Of course, it's optimistic that Lehman College could attract 1300 fans, but Lehman has been one of the more successful teams in the CUNYAC and the Bronx certainly has enough people who are avid soccer fans that it's not impossible, particularly for a big CUNYAC game or even an NCAA tournament game.
Plus, a stadium that seats 1300 could also accommodate a USL league 1 or MLS Next Pro club under U.S. Soccer's professional league standards for a Division III league.
Espaillat Announces $820,000K for South Field Funding (https://lehmanathletics.com/news/2026/3/4/general-espaillat-announces-820k-for-south-field-funding.aspx)
QuoteCongressman Adriano Espaillat joined Lehman College on March 2 for a check presentation marking an $820,000 allocation to expand seating at South Field, a project that will boost capacity from 70 to more than 1,300 fans. Campus leaders, students, and student-athletes attended the event.
"Working in the Bronx is a pleasure because our officials are passionate about the Bronx, supportive of CUNY, and always interested in Lehman," President Fernando Delgado said. "Congressman Adriano Espaillat more than fits that bill."
The funding will support new bleachers for South Field, expanding seating for Lehman's varsity baseball, softball, and men's and women's soccer games and making it possible to host a wider range of campus and neighborhood activities. CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez said the investment would directly benefit Lehman's athletics programs.
"This is a real game changer for our student-athletes and their fans," he said. "Congressman Adriano Espaillat is someone who consistently supports his constituents and delivers for them, and we sincerely thank him for his support."
Lehman student-athletes also welcomed the gift and the benefits it will bring to the College community. Sophomore exercise science major Danny McCrink, who is on the Lightning baseball roster, said, "We're super grateful for the opportunity to have [more] fans, family, and friends come and watch us play on the ball field, and want to thank Congressman Espaillat."
Addressing students in the audience, Espaillat noted that most of them are in his district. "You are the architects of the future of the city, dare I say the world," he said. "This is just a drop in the bucket. I promise to do much more to ensure you have a future in this great nation."
That $820K is going to do a lot of lifting if it's going to not only increase seating for soccer but also baseball and softball. That said, they have one facility, "South Field (https://www.lehman.cuny.edu/itr/documents/lc-3D-map.pdf)", which contains not only the soccer field but the baseball and softball fields. I guess they put up temporary fencing once soccer season is over to define the boundaries of the two ball fields? From the current image in Google Maps, they also use it for graduation ceremonies.
Lehman sits 1 mile east of Manhattan University (still sounds weird) and 1 mile west of Fordham University, both of whom have 2,000 and 7,000 seat stadiums respectively. Not really sure of the draw for upgrading Lehman's facilities.
Another DIII transfer to DI story and one that has to sting for Gustavus Adolphus:
Kieran Mahan, a freshman forward for Gustavus who scored 12 goals and had 6 assists last season and was named MIAC Rookie of the Year, MIAC All-Conference Team, MIAC All-Playoff Team, and Second Team All-Region IX, is transferring to Drake University (DI) according to a post last month from Drake Men's Soccer Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DUY00UlCZXR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dLtP9rIl80 little video about Josh Kirkland and his journey to landing with the Richmond Kickers
Quote from: Kuiper on March 10, 2026, 01:38:23 PMAnother DIII transfer to DI story and one that has to sting for Gustavus Adolphus:
Kieran Mahan, a freshman forward for Gustavus who scored 12 goals and had 6 assists last season and was named MIAC Rookie of the Year, MIAC All-Conference Team, MIAC All-Playoff Team, and Second Team All-Region IX, is transferring to Drake University (DI) according to a post last month from Drake Men's Soccer Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DUY00UlCZXR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==)
Interestingly, Drake is coached by Pat Flinn, who coached at UChicago (head and asst.) during their emergence as a national power.
Top Drawer posted a Top 10 players (https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/ten-best-players-in-diii-mens-soccer_aid55761) list for DIII Men's Soccer. The article is paywalled, but an Instagram post (https://www.instagram.com/p/DV9Socwj1Kb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)gives the player names.
Do you agree with it? Who have they left off? For me, not including Adam Knutson or Samuel Theiss from Trinity is a miss.
1. Bijan Akhtarzandi-Das (Tufts)
2. Ryan Bechtel (St. Olaf)
3. Connor Gage (Edgewood)
4. Alex Michael (Pfeiffer)
5. Christian Hodges (Augsburg)
6. Kasdan Blattman (Macalester)
7. Matthew Torrell (Calvin)
8. Alex Depperschmidt (Mt. Union)
9. Ethan Wirtschaffter (Wash. U)
10. Brady Leitner (Hobart)
A bit beyond the topic, but relevant imo. Also the narrator talks about law school, but pretty applies to all undergrad and grad school. Very scary and a good financial correction imo. Something to think about when going to college with a major that requires a grad school. Money is king.
https://www.youtube.com/live/R8lsOqQo5rU?si=iwiTJOJgZmAM-53_
Despite former Western Connecticut (D3) men's soccer player Patrick Agyemang scoring (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mvvGoyAWbI) for the USMNT today, they're going to find a way to blame us for that awful 5-2 defeat today to Belgium, right?
I can hear it now:
"Turner wasn't even good enough to be recruited for Muhlenberg!" (for the backstory, see this (https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/high-school/soccer/2022/11/16/matt-turner-park-ridge-nj-usa-goalkeeper-world-cup-2023/69540220007/))
Crazy story out of Rowan University. Kind of makes you wonder if any DI to DIII transfers in men's soccer have been because of drug test issues (do they even drug test in DI men's soccer?).
Championship Wins Resurface Rowan runner's Doping Allegations (https://thewhitonline.com/89524/sports/championship-wins-resurface-seth-clevengers-doping-allegations/)
Quotea runner in Rowan University's Track and Field program, won both the 3000-meter and 5000-meter events at this year's NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. In the 5000 meters, the junior from Haddonfield set a meet record with a time of 13:35.55, and won by almost 30 seconds compared to the runner-up.
As [the runner] accepted his award, the second through eighth place competitors stepped off the podium and refused to participate in the group photo thereafter. Instead, they took their own separate picture in protest, Canadian Running Magazine reported.
After that, [the runner] went on to win the 3000 meters by over 10 seconds. Again, his competitors opted to step off the podium rather than take a photo with the 22-year-old.
Why, exactly, were these other students stepping off the podium in protest? It was in response to allegations that [the runner] — a transfer from Division I Iowa State University who joined Rowan this spring — used banned substances in the fall of 2025.
QuoteThe university never publicly released the names or specific reasons for suspension, in compliance with FERPA — a federal law protecting the privacy of student education records — but his sudden absence from team events suggested his involvement. Records can only be released publicly if a release form is signed by individual students.
The Whit attempted to catch up with [the runner], but wasn't able to set up an interview before publishing this article.
A petition started by Emmanuel Leblond, a runner from Johns Hopkins University, has garnered over 750 signatures from collegiate track and field athletes across the country, demanding a full investigation into the doping allegations against [the runner].
Leblond addressed the petition to Shawn Tucker, director of athletics at Rowan University, and Terry Small, commissioner of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), the collegiate conference Rowan is a part of.
This was a huge deal in the D3 T&F world.
Rowan won the D3 NCAA indoor championship by *one* point. This slob fine young gentleman earned them 20 of them.
Another Atlantic East school joining Pratt in moving to a new conference with the CUNYAC schools. This time, it's Saint Elizabeth University, the first that is in New Jersey, not one of the five boroughs
Saint Elizabeth University to Join New DIII Conference with CUNYAC Schools Plus Pratt in 27-28 (https://cunyathletics.com/news/2026/3/30/general-saint-elizabeth-university-is-the-newest-commitment-to-nyc-area-division-iii-conference.aspx)
QuoteSaint Elizabeth University (SEU) will join nine Division III institutions, eight of whom are current members of the CUNY Athletic Conference, to help establish a newly expanded NCAA Division III conference set to begin competition in the 2027–28 academic year. This conference, which is currently in the final stages of naming, branding, and incorporation, focuses on institutions in or near New York City.
In 2027-28, the Eagles will begin competition by joining Baruch College, Brooklyn College, City College of New York, Hunter College, John Jay College, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, Pratt Institute and York College. Saint Elizabeth, like Pratt, is a current member of the Atlantic East Conference and will end participation in that league at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Additional expansion is expected.
QuoteSaint Elizabeth, located in Morristown, New Jersey, will bring a total of 12 NCAA Division III sports into the new conference. The Eagles will compete in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, and men's and women's volleyball. Saint Elizabeth also sponsors STUNT as an NCAA sport.
With the addition of Saint Elizabeth, the new conference's footprint will expand to New Jersey, with the nine current members located within the five boroughs of New York City in Manhattan (Baruch, CCNY, Hunter, John Jay), Brooklyn (Brooklyn, Medgar Evers, Pratt), Queens (York) and the Bronx (Lehman). Saint Elizabeth has convenient access to Manhattan and the five boroughs and is located on the New Jersey Transit Morristown Line at the Convent Station stop, offering direct access to Penn Station.
Quote from: Kuiper on March 17, 2026, 10:29:07 AMTop Drawer posted a Top 10 players (https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/ten-best-players-in-diii-mens-soccer_aid55761) list for DIII Men's Soccer. The article is paywalled, but an Instagram post (https://www.instagram.com/p/DV9Socwj1Kb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)gives the player names.
Do you agree with it? Who have they left off? For me, not including Adam Knutson or Samuel Theiss from Trinity is a miss.
1. Bijan Akhtarzandi-Das (Tufts)
2. Ryan Bechtel (St. Olaf)
3. Connor Gage (Edgewood)
4. Alex Michael (Pfeiffer)
5. Christian Hodges (Augsburg)
6. Kasdan Blattman (Macalester)
7. Matthew Torrell (Calvin)
8. Alex Depperschmidt (Mt. Union)
9. Ethan Wirtschaffter (Wash. U)
10. Brady Leitner (Hobart)
My view of lists like this is that they are of very little value. These are top players, for sure! The problem with d3 soccer is that there are so many teams, over such a wide geographic area, and now so many teams behind paywalls that it is virtually impossible for any one person let alone group of people to see all the good players out there, and then compare them to all the other kids playing.
Sure, most players don't need to be seen. But no one is watching all of the top 20%, or even top 10% of players. If a kid is on a high profile team, they get seen (though not compared to all the other players at a similar level). If not, it's very very unlikely they will make this list. Even with good teams, it's impossible to put the players in a national context with any accuracy.
The new NCAA eligibility proposal seems like it would have a very large effect on college soccer. The proposal is 5 years to play 5 and would limit your final year of eligibility to being the season you turn 24. That would dramatically shift the current division 1 landscape since a lot of teams in division 1 have many 20+ year old freshmen from overseas.
Keep in mind that the NCAA is not monolithic when it comes to eligibility. D1 and D3 have different rules.
Quote from: stlawus on April 09, 2026, 02:18:33 AMThe new NCAA eligibility proposal seems like it would have a very large effect on college soccer. The proposal is 5 years to play 5 and would limit your final year of eligibility to being the season you turn 24. That would dramatically shift the current division 1 landscape since a lot of teams in division 1 have many 20+ year old freshmen from overseas.
Son's freshman D1 roommate was 21 from Senegal. Great guy. Pretty sure that he turned 22 that year, but guessing that many, if not most, did not have a roommate who legally could buy beer. FYI, most int'l players spend one or two years in a program and transfer or go back to his country.
Son was a keeper and started 3rd/4th string freshman year. Starter was English (proper accent obv means better player) and had transferred from a JC. He left after 3-4 games to go back home, 2nd string lasted a game and my son started the rest of the year. Team was 0-5 to start the season and went 7-4 the rest of the year with a ranked win and a 2-1 loss to UVA. His first start was against WVU where they won 4-1 and he had a pk save.
MLS Next has always had a rule barring players on their clubs from playing HS soccer, but they have had waivers, including, most significantly, if a player had to play for their HS team as a condition of receiving a scholarship to attend that HS. That was the loophole that allowed a lot of private and parochial school MLS Next players to still play HS soccer (and hacked off a lot of public school coaches/teams where there was no waiver and the rule seemed to just favor people who could afford those schools). In many places, including California, the governing body of HS athletics already prohibits players from playing for any outside club team (regardless of level) at the same time they are playing for their HS team, so there is no chance that a player is getting physically overloaded playing for two teams at the same time.
Apparently, in NJ and other states, the HS governing bodies don't have a similar rule and so MLS Next is now extending its ban for its Homegrown (top) division to cover kids with waivers, which allows them to pause their roster spot with their MLS Next club and allows them to practice with the MLS Next team, but not play in any MLS Next games and potentially be unavailable for college showcases such as MLS Next Fest. Based on this article, there is a bit of an uproar in New Jersey (the article suggests that it is tearing apart HS teams across America, but it is focused on New Jersey and assumes its state HS rules are the same as other states).
https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2026/04/how-new-rule-is-tearing-apart-hs-soccer-teams-across-america-ahead-of-2026-world-cup.html
QuoteMLS Next — the premier youth soccer platform in the United States — has alerted its clubs that players in the top tier will not be permitted to participate in both high school soccer and MLS Next homegrown division matches during the 2026-27 season, NJ.com has learned.
It is the latest rule change regarding MLS Next players' relationships with high school programs in the ongoing debate about the balance of developing players to compete against the world's best while remaining healthy. And it means thousands of American players will be forced to choose between playing for their high schools and the top tier of the country's youth circuit during the high school season.
Quote"If they're playing three games a week for high school and then two games on the weekend at times, five games a week, that is suboptimal from a player safety perspective," Luis Robles, MLS Next's technical director, told NJ.com. "That's where we took a step back and said, 'Ok, we need to be pragmatic here.' We want players to be able to choose what is best for their development."
According to the new structure, players can request a waiver to compete on their high school team and pause their roster spot with the MLS Next club for that season. While those players can still practice and train with their MLS Next team, they cannot play in MLS Next games.
QuoteBut players will then risk losing their spot and eligibility for showcase events like MLS Next Fest — North America's largest youth soccer showcase and recruiting event in front of hundreds of college coaches held each December.
Quote from: Kuiper on April 09, 2026, 07:43:48 PMMLS Next has always had a rule barring players on their clubs from playing HS soccer, but they have had waivers, including, most significantly, if a player had to play for their HS team as a condition of receiving a scholarship to attend that HS. That was the loophole that allowed a lot of private and parochial school MLS Next players to still play HS soccer (and hacked off a lot of public school coaches/teams where there was no waiver and the rule seemed to just favor people who could afford those schools). In many places, including California, the governing body of HS athletics already prohibits players from playing for any outside club team (regardless of level) at the same time they are playing for their HS team, so there is no chance that a player is getting physically overloaded playing for two teams at the same time.
Apparently, in NJ and other states, the HS governing bodies don't have a similar rule and so MLS Next is now extending its ban for its Homegrown (top) division to cover kids with waivers, which allows them to pause their roster spot with their MLS Next club and allows them to practice with the MLS Next team, but not play in any MLS Next games and potentially be unavailable for college showcases such as MLS Next Fest. Based on this article, there is a bit of an uproar in New Jersey (the article suggests that it is tearing apart HS teams across America, but it is focused on New Jersey and assumes its state HS rules are the same as other states).
https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2026/04/how-new-rule-is-tearing-apart-hs-soccer-teams-across-america-ahead-of-2026-world-cup.html
QuoteMLS Next — the premier youth soccer platform in the United States — has alerted its clubs that players in the top tier will not be permitted to participate in both high school soccer and MLS Next homegrown division matches during the 2026-27 season, NJ.com has learned.
It is the latest rule change regarding MLS Next players' relationships with high school programs in the ongoing debate about the balance of developing players to compete against the world's best while remaining healthy. And it means thousands of American players will be forced to choose between playing for their high schools and the top tier of the country's youth circuit during the high school season.
Quote"If they're playing three games a week for high school and then two games on the weekend at times, five games a week, that is suboptimal from a player safety perspective," Luis Robles, MLS Next's technical director, told NJ.com. "That's where we took a step back and said, 'Ok, we need to be pragmatic here.' We want players to be able to choose what is best for their development."
According to the new structure, players can request a waiver to compete on their high school team and pause their roster spot with the MLS Next club for that season. While those players can still practice and train with their MLS Next team, they cannot play in MLS Next games.
QuoteBut players will then risk losing their spot and eligibility for showcase events like MLS Next Fest — North America's largest youth soccer showcase and recruiting event in front of hundreds of college coaches held each December.
live in the area - it's always been a problem of inconsistency...waiver or not - some Clubs looked the other way with mls next players on HS clubs where others took a hard line. Was always tough to see an all-state player that you know is in MLS When your player wasn't allowed the HS experience.
French National Team moves home base from Babson to Bentley
https://thewellesleynews.com/23335/news-investigation/french-national-football-team-chooses-bentley-over-babson/
Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things, but it would have fun to have the top ranked team in the world training at a D3 school
"The men's French national football team, Les Bleus, will train at Bentley University in Waltham during the World Cup this summer, despite having previously committed to training at Babson College. According to French football reports, the change was sparked by prolonged financial negotiations and an impasse between Babson, the French Football Federation (FFF) and FIFA.
Les Bleus are the top-ranked team in the World Cup as of April 14.
On March 26, Bentley's athletic director, Vaughn Williams, announced that the French team will arrive on June 10 and train at Bentley for the duration of the World Cup. The university will serve as a training site that the team will return to, no matter how far they travel for their tournaments, which are scheduled to happen across the country."
Yeah, I know lacrosse, but what most of us. or at least me, hear when watching D3 soccer online. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CdSmtZmMV/
Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on April 17, 2026, 08:42:17 AMYeah, I know lacrosse, but what most of us. or at least me, hear when watching D3 soccer online. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CdSmtZmMV/
Heh! On one level, that's a pretty funny clip.
But in terms of the professionalism, or lack thereof, exhibited by the two people behind the mic, yeah ... speaking as a D3 play-by-play guy, it makes me cringe. As the note accompanying the clip indicates, this really gives D3 a bad name. And I agree with you that it's sadly all-too-common among the D3 schools that let students do their play-by-play.
Don't get me wrong; some students are fairly adept at calling a game properly, and kudos to the schools that actually try to train their student broadcasters before putting them on the air. But this kind of stuff is depressingly widespread across the division.
See now, I loved it. I love student announcers, especially when they're homers.
Quote from: Kuiper on April 17, 2026, 12:42:36 AMFrench National Team moves home base from Babson to Bentley
https://thewellesleynews.com/23335/news-investigation/french-national-football-team-chooses-bentley-over-babson/
Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things, but it would have fun to have the top ranked team in the world training at a D3 school
"The men's French national football team, Les Bleus, will train at Bentley University in Waltham during the World Cup this summer, despite having previously committed to training at Babson College. According to French football reports, the change was sparked by prolonged financial negotiations and an impasse between Babson, the French Football Federation (FFF) and FIFA.
Les Bleus are the top-ranked team in the World Cup as of April 14.
On March 26, Bentley's athletic director, Vaughn Williams, announced that the French team will arrive on June 10 and train at Bentley for the duration of the World Cup. The university will serve as a training site that the team will return to, no matter how far they travel for their tournaments, which are scheduled to happen across the country."
Disappointing, but we'll probably never get the full story. I too was looking forward to having a World Cup team train there as they have numerous times in the past, and not just for WC matches. Babson has been very accommodating in the prior years.
I suspect and expect Babson will still get a team.
Quote from: Ejay on April 17, 2026, 05:36:29 PMSee now, I loved it. I love student announcers, especially when they're homers.
Yeah, I've heard a LOT worse than that.
Quote from: BaboNation on April 17, 2026, 07:51:04 PMQuote from: Kuiper on April 17, 2026, 12:42:36 AMFrench National Team moves home base from Babson to Bentley
https://thewellesleynews.com/23335/news-investigation/french-national-football-team-chooses-bentley-over-babson/
Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things, but it would have fun to have the top ranked team in the world training at a D3 school
"The men's French national football team, Les Bleus, will train at Bentley University in Waltham during the World Cup this summer, despite having previously committed to training at Babson College. According to French football reports, the change was sparked by prolonged financial negotiations and an impasse between Babson, the French Football Federation (FFF) and FIFA.
Les Bleus are the top-ranked team in the World Cup as of April 14.
On March 26, Bentley's athletic director, Vaughn Williams, announced that the French team will arrive on June 10 and train at Bentley for the duration of the World Cup. The university will serve as a training site that the team will return to, no matter how far they travel for their tournaments, which are scheduled to happen across the country."
Disappointing, but we'll probably never get the full story. I too was looking forward to having a World Cup team train there as they have numerous times in the past, and not just for WC matches. Babson has been very accommodating in the prior years.
I suspect and expect Babson will still get a team.
Something I didn't know until just now: Bentley is D2 in 22 of 23 programs. I knew men's hockey is D1.
https://newmacsports.com/news/2026/4/21/newmac-welcomes-saint-anselm-college-as-newest-member.aspx
NEWMAC Welcomes Saint Anselm College as Newest Member
Is Johns Hopkins so dominant that it should be kicked out of DIII?! That's what a Dickinson athlete is apparently arguing in an article in their schools newspaper (https://thedickinsonian.com/sports/2026/04/30/dont-you-get-bored-of-winning-student-athlete-offers-commentary-on-centennial-conference/). It's certainly not true in men's soccer, where they are historically strong, but nothing in either the Centennial Conference or the Division itself that would merit this reaction.
QuoteJust when every athlete at Dickinson thinks their season is going well, they realize their next match up is against Johns Hopkins University. I've felt it personally in both cross country and track, and I've heard the defeat in people's voices when they tell me they're playing Hopkins. I wasn't aware of Hopkins' athletic prowess until I got here, but watching how all of their seasons have panned out, regardless of the sport, the question came to me: why aren't they Division I? Their men's and women's lacrosse teams are both members of the Big 10 Conference, participating at the Division I level, and they are even ranked higher than schools several times their size in the Big 10, such as the University of Maryland and Rutgers.
QuoteJohns Hopkins currently has 22 varsity athletics teams at the DIII level and 2 teams at the D1 level. They have 57 national championship titles—two of those being won concurrently on November 23, 2019. Additionally, Johns Hopkins has amassed 314 conference titles, 179 of those being in the Centennial Conference. This is not very encouraging for anyone who faces Hopkins, as high-performing seasons are crushed to dust in the aftermath of getting whalloped by the Blue Jays. This serves as a slap in the face to sportsmanship as Hopkins has crafted such athletic gallantry to such a degree of punching above their weight class.
QuoteI acknowledge the benefits of being a Division III institution, but it is disheartening to toe the line with programs so clearly more dominant than you and who carry themselves in the same way as a DI school. Hopkins has a habit of using pacers during track conference championships, meaning they will ask an athlete to qualify for an event, thus taking a spot from someone else, for the sole purpose of helping their teammate hit a certain time. While not banned on paper, it introduces a new vector of competitiveness and questionable sportsmanship to the conference. Hopkins has shown that it can perform well against larger, arguably more competitive institutions and yet continues to come back to the Centennial Conference to assert dominance. The excuse of it being an academically rigorous and research-focused university loses weight when you acknowledge that every Ivy League school is Division I, holding their athletes to incredibly high standards. While I'm not in the NCAA board room calling the shots on who goes in what division, I think I speak for every frustrated athlete on this campus when I say the following: Johns Hopkins should transition to Division I athletics for all of their varsity teams.
The T&F students at Dickinson seem pretty out of touch. There was a similar editorial from another in 2022.
Dickinson is competitive in some other sports so perhaps the issue is not with JHU so much as it is the Dickinson program. Meanwhile, a little education to these student-athletes about what D3 is, what it takes to be D1, and how it is that Hopkins has a couple of D1 programs while still being a fully compliant and valued member of D3 is in order. And maybe it's not anyone's fault other than their own for not looking at how Dickinson T&F has historically performed before they agreed to be students there.
EDIT: In the latest NACDA Directors Cup standings, Dickinson is a very decent 51st overall (JHU, 4th) meaning that they can be competitive when they choose to be.
I think we all know that at the very least Hopkins should be in the UAA, they left for the Centennial in 2001 - I would have to assume they cited travel and missed class time as their reasoning. The CC is a very strong D3 conference, again as we all know, but not strong enough to contain them.
Kinda goofy to still pretend in 2026 Johns Hopkins is strongly aligned with Ursinus, Washington College, and Bryn Mawr, but not with Emory and NYU. I don't think the Dickinson student-athlete author is really in the wrong here.
Look, JHU is not a "peer institution" for the CC. That doesn't mean they don't belong in DIII, it just means it can feel a little unfair to those other institutions. But that's a conference decision, and I suspect the Presidents in the CC like being under the halo of being spoken of in the same breath as JHU, even if it is in sports and not medical research.
So I get it from the athlete's point of view, many of whom are not real concerned about the "greater values" of DIII, just the possibility of winning titles, conference or otherwise. I do think JHU has advantages compared to many of the CC schools, I think it's obvious they "peer" better with the UAA, and I think JHU prefers the local, low travel, low expense, nature of the CC vs the UAA.
Should they be out of DIII? Of course not. Should they be in the CC? Well, that's a question for the CC, but I do understand the athletes' point of view.
Caz Bombers beat me to it by a minute or two!
more than a men's soccer topic, but Merchant Marine in the Skyline Conference (and increasingly Cortland in the SUNYAC) are other examples of schools that are eating at the kiddie table when they should be taking their meals with the grownups.
Quote from: jknezek on May 01, 2026, 10:43:01 AMLook, JHU is not a "peer institution" for the CC. That doesn't mean they don't belong in DIII, it just means it can feel a little unfair to those other institutions. But that's a conference decision, and I suspect the Presidents in the CC like being under the halo of being spoken of in the same breath as JHU, even if it is in sports and not medical research.
This halo effect works in reverse situations as well. Look no further than Caltech, which for decades has been dragged around like an anchor by the rest of the SCIAC, competitively speaking, because the cachet of sharing a conference with one of the most distinguished and prestigious research institutions on the entire planet was important enough for the rest of the SCIAC schools to retain the membership of an opponent that they beat like a rug in almost every sport year after year after year. To a lesser degree this halo effect characterized Macalester's relationship to the rest of the MIAC for many years as well, especially with regard to football.
It's common for current students to be somewhat myopic to the big-picture relationships that schools have with each other. There's certainly more to how schools relate to other institutions, both within and outside of conferences, than scoreboards and standings.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on May 01, 2026, 01:41:15 PMQuote from: jknezek on May 01, 2026, 10:43:01 AMLook, JHU is not a "peer institution" for the CC. That doesn't mean they don't belong in DIII, it just means it can feel a little unfair to those other institutions. But that's a conference decision, and I suspect the Presidents in the CC like being under the halo of being spoken of in the same breath as JHU, even if it is in sports and not medical research.
This halo effect works in reverse situations as well. Look no further than Caltech, which for decades has been dragged around like an anchor by the rest of the SCIAC, competitively speaking, because the cachet of sharing a conference with one of the most distinguished and prestigious research institutions on the entire planet was important enough for the rest of the SCIAC schools to retain the membership of an opponent that they beat like a rug in almost every sport year after year after year. To a lesser degree this halo effect characterized Macalester's relationship to the rest of the MIAC for many years as well, especially with regard to football.
It's common for current students to be somewhat myopic to the big-picture relationships that schools have with each other. There's certainly more to how schools relate to other institutions, both within and outside of conferences, than scoreboards and standings.
The SCIAC is on an island, and Caltech was an early member. The admissions process required the professors to approve the students directly. Maybe THAT was the reverse halo effect you mention. They changed this a few years ago and actually encourage team membership (varsity or intramural) because that is part of the world they will work in. The coaches now have some input. They still have trouble in some sports. Everybody has trouble with pitchers.
I remember the national NPR news when they beat Oxy in basketball after years without a SCIAC win.
In the past there was a lot a bad vibes on the SCIAC basketball board about Caltech because some of the posters think D3 is all about winning.
Quote from: Gray Fox on May 01, 2026, 03:40:48 PMQuote from: Gregory Sager on May 01, 2026, 01:41:15 PMQuote from: jknezek on May 01, 2026, 10:43:01 AMLook, JHU is not a "peer institution" for the CC. That doesn't mean they don't belong in DIII, it just means it can feel a little unfair to those other institutions. But that's a conference decision, and I suspect the Presidents in the CC like being under the halo of being spoken of in the same breath as JHU, even if it is in sports and not medical research.
This halo effect works in reverse situations as well. Look no further than Caltech, which for decades has been dragged around like an anchor by the rest of the SCIAC, competitively speaking, because the cachet of sharing a conference with one of the most distinguished and prestigious research institutions on the entire planet was important enough for the rest of the SCIAC schools to retain the membership of an opponent that they beat like a rug in almost every sport year after year after year. To a lesser degree this halo effect characterized Macalester's relationship to the rest of the MIAC for many years as well, especially with regard to football.
It's common for current students to be somewhat myopic to the big-picture relationships that schools have with each other. There's certainly more to how schools relate to other institutions, both within and outside of conferences, than scoreboards and standings.
The SCIAC is on an island, and Caltech was an early member. The admissions process required the professors to approve the students directly. Maybe THAT was the reverse halo effect you mention. They changed this a few years ago and actually encourage team membership (varsity or intramural) because that is part of the world they will work in. The coaches now have some input. They still have trouble in some sports. Everybody has trouble with pitchers.
I remember the national NPR news when they beat Oxy in basketball after years without a SCIAC win.
In the past there was a lot a bad vibes on the SCIAC basketball board about Caltech because some of the posters think D3 is all about winning.
One side note on this point. Caltech did switch to give coaches a little bit of a say in admissions, but they switched back in Fall 2024. This was announced before the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, so it only started to affect freshman in Fall 2025 and we probably didn't notice any difference. We may still may not notice a difference in Fall 2026 since juniors and seniors will drive the teams, but I'm watching the long-term effects. I totally get what Caltech did and can't disagree with it, but I hope that the modest success of the teams (e.g., winning a few games, not actually being nationally competitive) may have made the school more attractive to uber smart kids who also play sports.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/10/08/ug-admissions-athletics/
QuoteIn an email to the Caltech community on September 5, 2024, Professors Kevin Gilmartin and Gil Refael announced two changes to the Institute's undergraduate admissions process—reinstating standardized testing and reducing the weight of athletics. These changes "reaffirm Caltech's commitment to academic merit and excellence, and are crucial to fulfilling the Institute's Mission: 'to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education.' "
Regarding athletics, the email stated that "the admissions process will reduce the weight that has been placed on athletics participation, and assign athletics participation and any other extracurricular activities a comparable weight." The Tech learned more about this change in a conversation with Professor Omer Tamuz, faculty chair of the First-Year Admissions and Financial Aid Committee.
Over the last ten years, Caltech's sports teams have drastically improved. During this time, athletics became more involved in admissions and the teams became composed of considerably more recruited athletes. Professor Tamuz stated that this shift towards athletics happened slowly through changes made organically within the system, and the faculty were not really aware of it.
The bylaws of Caltech put the responsibility of admitting students on the faculty. Some faculty were involved in the shift towards athletics, such as the past chairs of the First-Year Admissions and Financial Aid Committee and of the Athletics & Physical Education Committee. However, much of the faculty felt like there was no discussion about this change of policy which resulted in the number of recruited athletes going from very few to over ¼ of the student body.
There are many differing opinions among the faculty about reducing the weight of athletics in admissions. Professor Tamuz stated that the Faculty Board spent a lot of time discussing it last year. While they did not reach a consensus at the end of the discussions, "a large majority came to the decision that admissions should not involve athletics." He also said that the prevalent opinion among the faculty is that athletics is helpful for students to get through their studies here. Still, the mission of Caltech is clear: "I think athletics supports the Caltech mission of education because it helps the students, at least the athletes, have a better experience here, but I don't think that athletics in and of itself is part of the mission."
An important sentiment to be made clear is that admissions was confident in all the student-athletes that have been admitted in the past few years. Professor Tamuz stated, "We're very happy with all the students that we admitted, but we're going to have a change of priorities in the future... I think we're going to shift some of the priorities of admissions away from athletic ability. Our student-athletes are very strong in their schoolwork and they have very strong applications, and we'll continue admitting them, based on their academic ability."
Yeah, not sure how it should or should not be, but imo Hop is an odd situation. Truly Too big for D3, but a medium to low D1 program, obv not talking about lacrosse. JHU has over 6k in undergrads and 26k in graduate students. By having access to grad students, several of its sports have really benefitted which is a real plus in D3. Example 2022 womens soccer D3 champions had 9 grad students. Comparison to 98% (guesstimate) bigger the other D3 schools. Next highest enrollment in the Cent Conf is 2400 or 2500 or so. So at least twice as many of students.
IMO Hop would be ideally in the Patriot League. What may be the difference is the D1 lacrosse program. FYI, before going Big10 in 2015, they were a long time independent team.
What about NYU, with 30k UNDERGRADS
Quote from: Ejay on May 02, 2026, 06:53:55 PMWhat about NYU, with 30k UNDERGRADS
Sure why not! Do you know that NYU's soccer field is in Riverdale the Bronx which is about 14 miles away. It isn't even their field. Nobody has ever looked at NYU as a sports school.
Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on May 02, 2026, 10:31:55 PMQuote from: Ejay on May 02, 2026, 06:53:55 PMWhat about NYU, with 30k UNDERGRADS
Sure why not! Do you know that NYU's soccer field is in Riverdale the Bronx which is about 14 miles away. It isn't even their field. Nobody has ever looked at NYU as a sports school.
NYU moved their home soccer games in 2023 to Newark, NJ. The 2022 season was the last time that NYU played home soccer games at Gaelic Park at Manhattan College. (Riverdale/Bronx). In 2023, NYU's home soccer games were split between the home fields on the NJIT and the Rutgers-Newark campus, and since 2024, NYU's home soccer games are currently played at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium on the NJIT campus in Newark, NJ.
NYU's outdoor sports teams all play their home games off-campus (NYU Softball currently plays home games at Fordham Univ, NYU baseball currently plays most of their home games at Staten Island Univ. Hospital Community Park, but the Violets's UAA baseball home series vs Emory was played this year in Teaneck, NJ.) That is natural since the closest thing NYU has to an outdoor quad is Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.
That is nuts! So maybe they should be NJU, but since the Giants and Jets never did that . . . .
[/quote]
. Nobody has ever looked at NYU as a sports school.
[/quote]
Hot take and false
. Nobody has ever looked at NYU as a sports school.
[/quote]
Hot take and false
[/quote]
When I think of NYU, I think "LAWYER UP!"
and then I think, "oh yeah, sports too."
NYU Women's basketball just had their 91 game winning streak snapped this year.
NYU was 8th in the overall NACDA Directors' Cup standings last year, 5th the year before, and currently sit first in the current season (https://site.rocketalumnisolutions.com/entry/67a4e1c1ae6f2c6c1b4289c1/6810bd4fbcbfb7b8a6362931/69497b38ae16cbfbc625b60d).
Quote from: BaboNation on April 17, 2026, 07:51:04 PMQuote from: Kuiper on April 17, 2026, 12:42:36 AMFrench National Team moves home base from Babson to Bentley
https://thewellesleynews.com/23335/news-investigation/french-national-football-team-chooses-bentley-over-babson/
Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things, but it would have fun to have the top ranked team in the world training at a D3 school
"The men's French national football team, Les Bleus, will train at Bentley University in Waltham during the World Cup this summer, despite having previously committed to training at Babson College. According to French football reports, the change was sparked by prolonged financial negotiations and an impasse between Babson, the French Football Federation (FFF) and FIFA.
Les Bleus are the top-ranked team in the World Cup as of April 14.
On March 26, Bentley's athletic director, Vaughn Williams, announced that the French team will arrive on June 10 and train at Bentley for the duration of the World Cup. The university will serve as a training site that the team will return to, no matter how far they travel for their tournaments, which are scheduled to happen across the country."
Disappointing, but we'll probably never get the full story. I too was looking forward to having a World Cup team train there as they have numerous times in the past, and not just for WC matches. Babson has been very accommodating in the prior years.
I suspect and expect Babson will still get a team.
New Jersey just finished announcing they're home to training grounds for 4 teams:
Morocco will use The Pingry School (k-12) in Basking Ridge
Brazil will use Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township
Senegal will use D1 Rutgers University in Piscataway
Haiti will use D3 Stockton University in Galloway
You can see the full list of training grounds and hotels here - https://fwc26teambasecamps.fifa.com/#/tbc/
Some of those hotels... Woof. A Courtyard by Marriott?
I mean, I'm always happy when that's an option when I'm on a road trip, but for a group of highly paid professional athletes?
Yikes.
When you decide to put teams places like Stillwater, OK or Boise, ID the number of places available to host a travelling party of some size are limited (which should have been a factor in determining where teams would be hosted). There are certainly better options in/near Santa Barbara, though.
F&M's long time coach, Dan Wager, is coming out with a book on Mothers' Day. Should be really interesting with his background and experiences. During my son's time, they couldn't do the South Africa trips which was a missed opportunity, imo. Blurb below.
American Ubuntu
A Team That Refused to Break
For 23 years, F&M Soccer has been built around a simple idea:
Trading the pursuit of me for the pursuit of we.
Coach Wags' new book tells the story behind that philosophy — from the legacy of Chris Campbell, to the growth of the Safe Hub movement in South Africa, to the challenges that tested our program years later.
A story about soccer, community, accountability, and resilience.
Launching this Mother's Day — May 10.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYDZeXMiVuM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Check out the blub for the book on Amazon, it is really good. Plus you can order the book there.
Dan Wagner has definitely had a journey and, IMO, worth reading about. Many may have not liked F&M's style or bench, but end result for the kids is definitely substantial. I personally know a bit, but am looking forward to reading this. If you are a Messiah person or just want to read about what it like to coach at a D3 level and have success while making the men better, Dan is the guy.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H18MCZXR/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8VOg-mxtD6f_i8cNOabI8MFxUSvmXkhkZpnevP8uPh-K4JZI5yx1nsU_KWoQ06vl1LsidxPHvbsAp6Y2_qTJk7HInxepm1WWytkkTnFQyPgc2MlPedkdskeR5SJeI16BJXZGMELidxqV9cU-vTHMrff1b6JOyLCDEvw4vipNTi0u60EAUBd_-5UJQLVF7XwfsZy_j1klxvCr7ciO3nw7_aNUAjBVzgUwbumo1TNdmXY.jD3w5MKByXDe9uMALOMY_dnjNskVw-UOatoArj5R7Yw&qid=1778452086&sr=8-1
I disagree with your assessment.
Quote from: SKUD on May 10, 2026, 08:40:24 PMI disagree with your assessment.
Your opinion which is fine. Did you have a kid coached by Dan Wagner?
Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on May 10, 2026, 06:34:22 PMCheck out the blub for the book on Amazon, it is really good. Plus you can order the book there.
Dan Wagner has definitely had a journey and, IMO, worth reading about. Many may have not liked F&M's style or bench, but end result for the kids is definitely substantial. I personally know a bit, but am looking forward to reading this. If you are a Messiah person or just want to read about what it like to coach at a D3 level and have success while making the men better, Dan is the guy.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H18MCZXR/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8VOg-mxtD6f_i8cNOabI8MFxUSvmXkhkZpnevP8uPh-K4JZI5yx1nsU_KWoQ06vl1LsidxPHvbsAp6Y2_qTJk7HInxepm1WWytkkTnFQyPgc2MlPedkdskeR5SJeI16BJXZGMELidxqV9cU-vTHMrff1b6JOyLCDEvw4vipNTi0u60EAUBd_-5UJQLVF7XwfsZy_j1klxvCr7ciO3nw7_aNUAjBVzgUwbumo1TNdmXY.jD3w5MKByXDe9uMALOMY_dnjNskVw-UOatoArj5R7Yw&qid=1778452086&sr=8-1
Thanks for sharing. Eager to check it out.
D3 (and the other NCAA divisions) have approved rule changes (https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/5/12/media-center-teams-will-have-2-video-challenges-in-mens-and-womens-soccer.aspx) that were previously discussed:
Video review challenges: when "video review is used" [not defined], each coach can use up to two challenges at any point in the game [do not seem to get additional challenges if successful]. Officials in the first 80 minutes can only initiate review for clock issues and to see if a ball crossed the goal line; in last ten can initiate review "for all allowable plays" but only if a team has no challenges remaining (same for OT).
GKs must release ball within eight seconds after "gaining possession". Officials will make a visual signal for the last five seconds of the count. Penalty is a corner kick for the opposing team.
Subs can be made "any time the clock is stopped" in D3/D2 and for all women's divisions.
For violent behavior red card ejections, the NCAA secretary-rules editor and a designated committee, rather than the referee on the field during the game, will determine acts of Violent Behavior II.
Teams can have four 15-by-15-foot commercial logos on the field (two on each half) on the field of play outside the penalty areas if they do not obscure required markings.
All yellow cards given to the coaching staff will be charged to the head coach for accumulation purposes.
For all three women's divisions and Division II and III men's regular-season games, a running clock will occur in the last 15 minutes if there is a five-goal margin. The clock will return to standard rules if the margin drops below five goals.
If a player from each team is treated by medical personnel after a penalty kick is awarded, both players can remain in the game.
Each red card ejection will carry its own penalty with no additional games missed for successive red cards.
Devices for collecting data can be worn on the wrist or arm if properly padded and covered.
If a game is delayed by weather, there should be a maximum three-hour wait from the scheduled start time until the all-clear is given to begin warmups. If a game has started, there can be a three-hour window from the point of the first interruption to the all-clear to resume play. Conferences will have oversight to extend these windows.
Specific to D1, a fourth official is now mandatory, and a "video match official", either at the site or a centralized location, can assist when video review is used.
The 8 second rule (with 5 second visual countdown) for goalkeepers before they must release the ball aligns the NCAA with the IFAB rule to avoid time wasting. In DIII soccer, it also could affect teams that play very defensively and punt long on every occasion. In these instances, the delay isn't been about time-wasting, per se, but about moving everyone farther away from the goal and getting in a defensive shape to keep the ball up high. Coaches will need to get kids moving faster to make that work under the new rule. I expect opposing coaches will also hassle goalkeepers more before the punt in an attempt to prevent them from getting it off quickly. Referees have the power to stop or pause the clock when that happens, but as with any new rule, there will be a period of adjustment. The move up and punt long strategy could go from a conservative to a risky approach if corners start being awarded or if rushing it leads to shanked punts or defenders caught out of position.
Another interesting note is that if the NCAA is adopting this rule to align its rules with the international game, the new rule FIFA is adopting for the World Cup this summer - a 5 second rule for goal kicks and throw-ins (https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48014733/fifa-world-cup-countdown-throw-ins-goal-kicks-feature) - may be coming next. Not only is that more logistically difficult in DIII soccer where ball boys/girls aren't always present or fast and goalkeepers/players legitimately often have to walk gingerly on tracks surrounding fields to retrieve balls for restarts, but it could really affect strategy. The offensive strategy for long-throws of running over your best thrower who can get the ball in the box even if they are on the other side of the field may exceed the 5 second rule and result in a turnover. For goal kicks, the 5 second rule may be difficult for possession-oriented teams because delays in the goal kick are often the result of waiting for a runner to get open for the pass. Teams will have to adapt with passes inside the box to a field player who initiates the restart, which invites pressure earlier.
I think the 8 second rule is great. The previous time limit was never enforced. Will definitely get things going. So keepers can't just pretend and fall on the ball at the end of the game. Huge improvement! Also refs can't start the count with an opposing player in the keeper's face otherwise coaches will employ that.
One way it may affect keepers is that they will have to get better with their feet. Ball comes in and rather then pick it up quickly, they'll have to use their feet till their players are set up. Many already do this, but will have to really do this.
Don't know many teams who punt consistently at least I have not seen that recently. Even mediocre teams try to play out of the back. For my son's time, he maybe, maybe punted 20 times his entire time and he could punt 3/4 of the field.
As to 5 sec. rule for throw ins and goal kicks, I'm guessing it'll have to be when the ball is on the ground in front of goal mouth or in the throwers hands. With retrieving balls, every team will blow past the 5 seconds. Also what about subs? When will the 5 secs start?
Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on May 13, 2026, 12:17:55 PMDon't know many teams who punt consistently at least I have not seen that recently. Even mediocre teams try to play out of the back. For my son's time, he maybe, maybe punted 20 times his entire time and he could punt 3/4 of the field.
That's true in club soccer, but there are plenty of DIII college teams whose coaches still insist that they punt long all the time. It's a strategy heavily employed by some of the bunker teams that rack up lots of ties.
This still has to get approved by the DI Cabinet in June, but if it has gotten this far, it may really happen. Not sure it affects DIII soccer much, but it certainly will make the differences between the two systems evn more stark. The change of the DI transfer window from 45 days with two windows to one 15 day window in the Spring might have more of an effect. A DIII player trying to transfer to DI probably won't risk waiting until late Spring, while a DIII team looking for DI transfers still hanging around on the portal may not have any spots left in late spring to accommodate them.
DI Men's Soccer Oversight Committee Adopts 2-semester Playing Season for DI Men's Soccer (https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/5/13/media-center-committee-adopts-2-semester-playing-season-for-di-mens-soccer.aspx)
QuoteThe Division I Men's Soccer Oversight Committee adopted legislation changing the sport's playing and practice season to two semesters, effective Aug. 1, 2027.
The committee's action is subject to review by the Division I Cabinet during its June 23-24 meeting.
Under the legislation, the Division I men's soccer championship segment is redistributed across two semesters, maintaining the current maximum contest limit of 25. Division I men's soccer teams could play a maximum of 18 contests during the fall segment, starting in late August and going until the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
The spring segment would begin in mid-February, with teams playing a maximum of 10 contests before the Division I Men's Soccer Championship.
The Division I Men's Soccer Championship will be moved to the spring, and the specific dates for the postseason will be determined later.
This playing season model was introduced in January by the Men's Soccer Oversight Committee through the new Division I governance structure.
Rationale for the recommendation focuses on benefits for student-athletes. These include:
A more balanced academic and athletic experience by reducing time demands in any single term.
A decompressed playing season with potentially fewer midweek games, resulting in less missed class time and promoting stronger academic performance and degree completion.
More predictable weekly schedules across fall and spring.
Opportunity for enhanced recovery time between matches, which could support injury prevention and return-to-play protocols.
Stronger integration into campus life and deeper engagement with teammates and coaches.
Currently, the NCAA Division I men's soccer season is played in a 10- to 13-week fall window, with the Men's College Cup taking place in December.
Notification-of-transfer window
The Men's Soccer Oversight Committee also adopted an adjustment to the Division I men's soccer notification-of-transfer process. Starting with the 2027-28 academic year, Division I men's soccer would have one 15-consecutive-day window in the spring, which would open the day after the Division I Men's Soccer Championship.
Currently, the Division I men's soccer transfer window is 45 days, split into two windows.
Sasho Cirovski, Maryland's long time coach, has finally gotten his way. He started advocating for the split season over 10 years ago. A lot of people thought he was crazy and the NCAAs would never go for it. Personally, I think its a great idea and nothing to do with D3. With more rest, I believe college soccer will be stronger especially since most D1 teams don't sub like D3. Here is the article from 2016 - https://dbknews.com/2016/04/07/maryland-mens-soccer-coach-sasho-cirovski-schedule-change/
Thought this would be a good place to congratulate all the lurkers who have or will be graduating this month. Would love to have you come out of the shadows for the fall banter - especially if you're a recent St. Lawrence alum :-)
Haiti Selects Stockton as Team Base Camp for 2026 World Cup (https://stockton.edu/news/2026/haiti-world-cup-base-camp.html)
QuoteStockton University announced today that Haiti has selected the school's athletic facilities as its Team Base Camp training site for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Haiti, the only Caribbean nation to qualify for the World Cup twice, last played in the tournament in 1974.
"Stockton University is honored to be selected as a Team Base Camp for the FIFA World Cup 2026. This recognition affirms the strength of our athletic facilities and the dedication of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to create an environment where the world's best athletes can train, learn and feel at home," said Stockton President Joe Bertolino. "We welcome Haiti to our beautiful campus this summer to participate in the largest sporting event in the world."
The Haiti National Team, also known as the Grenadiers, are in Group C and will arrive at Stockton on June 8. Their first World Cup game is in Boston on June 13 against Scotland. They will play Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia and finish group play June 24 against Morocco in Atlanta.
***
Haiti will have access to two natural grass outdoor fields at Stockton, including G. Larry James Stadium, and the Sports Center, which includes physical therapy facilities and meeting rooms for the coaching staff.
"We're extremely excited, grateful and honored that Stockton University has been selected by the Haiti National Team for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp," said Jeff Haines, associate director of Athletics and Recreation at Stockton University.
Haiti joins an elite group of prestigious National Teams, Olympic Teams and foreign clubs to practice or play at Stockton over the last 30 years, including the 1994 Saudi Arabian World Cup Team, 1996 Nigerian Olympic Team that won the gold medal and CR Flamengo in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Also, Stockton hosted two exhibition games with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team on campus in 1996.
"Last summer, we had an amazing experience hosting one of the most popular teams in the world, CR Flamengo, for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Our collaboration with FIFA and CR Flamengo provided an environment for Flamengo to flourish, winning their group and advancing into the knockout stage of the tournament," Haines said. "Stockton University is one of the few Team Base Camps nationwide that has hosted for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We're embracing the successful tradition of Team Base Camps at Stockton and looking forward to hosting Haiti as our latest National Team."
Bertolino emphasized that Stockton's selection provides further evidence of the university's impact on the community.
"As an Anchor Institution in this region, we embrace opportunities that bring people together across cultures and continents," he said. "The World Cup represents excellence, teamwork and global unity, values that reflect who we are as a university."
Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on May 11, 2026, 09:00:06 AMQuote from: SKUD on May 10, 2026, 08:40:24 PMI disagree with your assessment.
Your opinion which is fine. Did you have a kid coached by Dan Wagner?
Thankfully not. He was wise enough as an 18 not to.