2026 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[stlawus]

It's hard for me to not think these proposed changes aren't mainly ways for d1 coaches to inflate their egos and continue thinking they are Premier League coaches. What's more likely, a better professional pathway for players or coaches leveraging a season for clout, attention and other jobs as a result of showing how they perform over a professional schedule?

Really hope this proposal crashes and burns as a result of all the non power conference schools and schools that don't have the resources to keep up vetoing it. The overtime rule change already took away one of the main things that made college soccer so great and unique. And it's all because coaches want college soccer to be the premier league.

Fact of the matter is that college soccer has never been more irrelevant to the player pathway in this country than it is now. So the options were, stand by and do nothing or try something to improve that problem.

Just because something "has always been done that way" doesn't mean it has to stay the same. We should want change and growth. Whether this is the thing that does it or not will be determined but credit to the panel for trying to do something for the sport.

College soccer not being a pathway is the point.  It is an avenue for players to play 4 more years while getting an education.  There is no problem to improve.  If players end up in the pros, great, but that's not the goal of college soccer and should not be changed for that reason.

[SierraFD3soccer]

I personally do not have a problem. At the very least, they won't have 2 games a week with a compressed schedule. Fewer injuries maybe. Could be that they only play on weekends which will let them be in class more often. The airplane leagues miss a whole lot of classes.

[Gregory Sager]

I personally do not have a problem. At the very least, they won't have 2 games a week with a compressed schedule. Fewer injuries maybe. Could be that they only play on weekends which will let them be in class more often. The airplane leagues miss a whole lot of classes.

Again, though, that's not relevant to D3. The UAA is the only airplane league in all of D3.

[Kuiper]

I personally do not have a problem. At the very least, they won't have 2 games a week with a compressed schedule. Fewer injuries maybe. Could be that they only play on weekends which will let them be in class more often. The airplane leagues miss a whole lot of classes.

Again, though, that's not relevant to D3. The UAA is the only airplane league in all of D3.

The SAA started looking a little closer to the UAA once Southwestern and Trinity joined, which is probably why Southwestern is going back to the SCAC in 2027

[VASoccerDad]

Son left on a plane at 4am this morning (Friday) for an 11am game on Saturday. Yes, the UAA. Luckily no midweek conference games, but they do miss a lot of fridays.

[DagarmanSpartan]

Fantastic win over WashU-St. Louis today.  The upcoming game against Top 10 Chicago at home could be EPIC!!!!

[Ejay]

That assumes Chicago stays in the top 10 after getting thumped 4-1.

[stlawus]

Just shows how playing as a top ranked NPI team affects everyone.

#3 SLU ties Ithaca
#4 Rowan ties #13 Montclair, albeit a come from behind tie late, against a good team.
#8 W&L loses to Randolph Macon
Yesterday #5 St. Olaf tied Wisconsin-Superior

Hard being top 10, everyone's gunning for you. Just so difficult for anyone to really pull away in terms of NPI value.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Brutal. No gimmes this time of year in conference or out.

[SimpleCoach]

#3 SLU ties Ithaca
#4 Rowan ties #13 Montclair, albeit a come from behind tie late, against a good team.
#8 W&L loses to Randolph Macon
Yesterday #5 St. Olaf tied Wisconsin-Superior

I would have picked none of these results the day before.

Which is why I am terrible at picking results.   The only one that I give a little grace to is Rowan.  Montclair is really coming into it's own and has been playing well.  But St. Olaf?  W&L? 

SC.

[SierraFD3soccer]

No idea as to Rowan, but, when playing Randy Mac, W&L lost a player (two year starter who is a senior and played most of all the minutes) against Batten due to a red card on Saturday when they fought back to a 3-3 tie. That might have impacted their play against Randy Mac.

Also, I am thinking that injuries may be impacting teams this time of year.

[jknezek]

I think W&L got caught looking forward instead of playing the game in front of them. Bad stretch.

[olepoops]

UW-Superior is the top UMAC team and has taken on good WIAC teams (tied Eau Claire) and a host of MIAC teams, so this result is perhaps not a huge surprise.

#3 SLU ties Ithaca
#4 Rowan ties #13 Montclair, albeit a come from behind tie late, against a good team.
#8 W&L loses to Randolph Macon
Yesterday #5 St. Olaf tied Wisconsin-Superior

I would have picked none of these results the day before.

Which is why I am terrible at picking results.  The only one that I give a little grace to is Rowan.  Montclair is really coming into it's own and has been playing well.  But St. Olaf?  W&L? 

SC.

[SierraFD3soccer]

I think W&L got caught looking forward instead of playing the game in front of them. Bad stretch.

Better now than ODACs

[jknezek]

I think W&L got caught looking forward instead of playing the game in front of them. Bad stretch.

Better now than ODACs

I guess. But anyway you cut it, W&L has probably lost a chance at serious home field advantage in two games against teams that really shouldn't have been a problem. A lot rides on this Lynchburg game, and I've consistently felt that Lynchburg is the better team this season. Going 0-2-1, if they lose, is a tough stretch. 0-1-2 isn't much better. Need to get heads back focused.