2024 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[Ron Boerger]

LOL a

Depending on proximity to campus, parents of graduates also continue to haunt the bleachers after their kids have graduated.  The beauty of that experience is that you don't feel obligated to show up on a rainy Tuesday evening.  You can chose to just show up on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

LOL and there are even a few deluded souls like myself that never played a sport at their college and show up every so often just because (though in Texas it's more likely to show up for a Saturday evening when you don't have to worry about getting hot and/or sunburned all to heck).

My handle gives away my age... I am still in fairly regular contact with my teammates. Text chain and we try to get together at least every other year or so.

Youngster, please

[Hopkins92]

I'm not making a judgment on this, because I know the board is very apolitical, but...

The current administration is placing a hold on all new student visas for an unspecified period. This will hurt every university that relies on international students.

Obvious ripple effects relevant to this board.

[EnmoreCat]

I'm not making a judgment on this, because I know the board is very apolitical, but...

The current administration is placing a hold on all new student visas for an unspecified period. This will hurt every university that relies on international students.

Obvious ripple effects relevant to this board.

Very glad my son has now graduated, as an aside, that was a fun few days and very different to what happens in Australia.  My daughter is set for a Master's degree next year, but everything that has happened, particularly for Harvard, is really complicating that choice.  I think she's much more likely to go-to the UK for it now, which is a shame, as I think the US programs are great and the overall experience a superior one. 

[Kuiper]

I'm not making a judgment on this, because I know the board is very apolitical, but...

The current administration is placing a hold on all new student visas for an unspecified period. This will hurt every university that relies on international students.

Obvious ripple effects relevant to this board.

It's late enough in the cycle that most new students are locked into their schools for the moment, but early enough that it won't necessarily interfere with student arrivals if it really is only a delay of "a few days."  Nevertheless, it is one more example where the policy volatility is messing with higher education in a way that is going to push people like Enmore Cat's daughter to choose another option besides the US if sports aren't the primary reason for coming here.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-halting-student-visa-appointments-ahead-of-expanded-social-media-vetting/

In a cable dated Tuesday and obtained by CBS News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed diplomatic posts not to add any more appointments for student and foreign exchange visas in preparation for the expanded vetting, and to take any unfilled appointments off their calendars. If students have already scheduled their visa interviews, those can still go forward.

The pause will last "until further guidance is issued" in the next few days.

The State Department is preparing for an "expansion of required social media screening and vetting," and all student visa applicants could be subject to social media checks, according to the cable. This extra screening would have "significant implications" for embassies and consulates' operations, making a pause on new appointments necessary, the cable said.

[Ejay]

Will North Park be able to field a team 

[Gray Fox]

Will North Park be able to field a team 

I looked up their roster.  Move the games to Sweden. 

[jknezek]

It's more an issue for the future as students decide the risk and hassle isn't worth it. There are a lot of schools that rely on those international, high tuition, students. Not for sports, for survival. The more unwelcome the U.S. appears, the more knock-on effects, from tourism to international influence. All those students 20, 30, 40 years ago who have great memories from their school days in the U.S. and hold the U.S. in a positive light? All that goes away in the future.

On the other hand, things that are announced have a stunning and blindingly fast turnaround time for being "postponed" or reversed lately, so who knows if anything will stick?

[Hopkins92]

It's also not a forever thing, which seems hard to fathom in this moment, but is something I lean on daily.

[Gregory Sager]

Will North Park be able to field a team 

Trust me, that's been on my mind nonstop since the Rubio announcement was made. And I don't find it funny at all.

Student visa difficulties would affect a lot more than just the MSOC team at NPU. The Vikings WSOC, WTEN, and MGOLF teams, and the track & field teams for both men and women, will be severely affected as well if the Scandinavian pipeline is cut. Above and beyond that, it will be a wrenching blow to the school, not just because there's a fairly large concentration of Norwegians and Swedes on campus (not all of whom are student-athletes) who would no longer be paying much-needed tuition dollars to North Park, but because they are an important and valued segment of the undergraduate student body, not least because they are a living reminder of the school's origins in the late nineteenth century as an institution of learning for and by Swedish immigrants.

Will North Park be able to field a team 

I looked up their roster.  Move the games to Sweden. 

That would result in a rather long commute for yours truly to broadcast NPU's home games.

[Little Giant 89]

Well said, Gregory.  I hope things turn out well for your Vikings, and for all the rest of us.

[Kuiper]

After the House Settlement was approved, a lot of non-revenue college sports, including soccer, are at risk as DI colleges have to dedicate their football and basketball revenues to paying those players.  So, it makes a lot of sense that an individual sport governing body like US Soccer steps in to help figure out how to keep college soccer going.

Only worry I have is that there is no representation beyond DI on the committee announced in the press release below.  DIII officials would be wise to make their voices heard lest whatever solutions they come up with cut out the lower divisions of college soccer or make it more expensive.

US Soccer Launches Committee to Provide Recommendations on Men's and Women's College Soccer

U.S. Soccer has formally established the NextGen College Soccer Committee (NCS), a group comprised of diverse and influential leaders from higher education, professional sports, philanthropic organizations and the business community. This initiative supports U.S. Soccer's ongoing commitment to evolve and elevate all levels of soccer in the United States and underscores the Federation's "in service to soccer" strategy.

The committee will aim to integrate the college game more deeply into the broader U.S. Soccer ecosystem, while ensuring it remains a strong, sustainable platform for student-athlete education, player development, and community engagement. The group's work will consider both the men's and women's college games, recognizing that the models and solutions may differ between the two. Additionally, the committee will provide input on commercial strategies, improvements to student-athlete welfare, and broader collaboration opportunities with the NCAA and appropriate governing bodies of the sport.

The NCS Committee will focus on two primary outcomes:

    Publishing a white paper by the start of the 2025-26 academic year, outlining recommendations to position both men's and women's college soccer to thrive in the rapidly evolving soccer ecosystem

    Engaging conferences and college programs interested in exploring these innovative solutions and opportunities, targeting implementation beginning during the 2026–27 academic year

"College soccer is integral to the fabric and future of our sport in this country," said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson. "The individuals joining this group bring unique perspectives and expertise that will help us build a model where college soccer can thrive in a modern, connected system - all working collaboratively in service to soccer."

The NCS Committee will formally engage other key stakeholders via insight groups - including college coaches and administrators, current and recent college players,U.S. Soccer members, and governing bodies such as the NCAA and USOPC- to provide feedback andstrengthen the proposal.

While this committee will focus on the college game and appropriate connectivity with professional leagues,U.S. Soccer will also be working directly with a group of pre-professional youth members including ECNL / US Club, Girls Academy, MLS Next, USL Academy, and US Youth Soccer,to properly consider the development pathway and progression to college soccer, ensuring any proposed solutions reflect the full scope of the game in the U.S.