2024 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[SierraFD3soccer]

On a less serious note and more towards fun of D3 soccer in some ways.

Kid who filmed/edited this has been doing this for F&M for 3 years or so. Worth the few seconds. Check out his Instagram page for other reels like this.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_VsN38xPGT/

[SimpleCoach]

On a less serious note and more towards fun of D3 soccer in some ways.

Kid who filmed/edited this has been doing this for F&M for 3 years or so. Worth the few seconds. Check out his Instagram page for other reels like this.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_VsN38xPGT/

Love this. 

SC.

[Another Mom]

W&L is worth watching for the naysayers (deserved) after the last game. They look different and are playing with more intensity.

[Kuiper]

I'm not sure this is the right place to put this, but if the redshirt rule passes for all sports, I expect the DI grad transfer to D3 schools for a Covid year might become a permanent fixture for certain high academic DI players.  Tons of DI players don't play more than 30% of the season in their freshman year.

https://sports.yahoo.com/docs-ncaa-considering-applying-football-redshirt-rule-to-athletes-in-all-sports-154903963.html

The NCAA is considering more historic changes to its amateurism rules.

Member schools plan to seriously consider granting athletes in all sports, not just football, the ability to participate in up to a certain percentage of games in a fifth season and still use their redshirt; permit athletes to earn prize money before they enroll in college; and eliminate the National Letter of Intent.

The talk is that they would allow a player to play in something like 30% of their freshman year and still call it a redshirt so they could play a 5th year.  Not sure how many would do that in men's soccer where the 5th year will cost them full freight most likely, but there are certainly some doing so now with the Covid year and they probably could do a grad transfer with that 5th year that would enable them to start on an advanced degree.  Many of those players could land in D3 for that 5th year, especially at the places like Hopkins, Emory, Chicago etc that have been getting a decent number of grad transfers in the current system.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Not sure where to put this, but this may be sign of the future. May mean talented players (esp. men) who intended to play D1 go D3 with the limit on roster numbers.

Check out this recruits statement on X. Just one I know, but I'm guessing that many (at least several) programs are doing this especially as D1 programs start stocking up with more and more int'l players. https://x.com/MaddieMescher_/status/1830710468526092538

[SierraFD3soccer]

From this article.

Impact on Men's Soccer


For men's soccer, the future is uncertain. Because football and basketball will get most of the revenue-sharing money, and women's sports are protected by Title IX, there might not be enough money left for men's soccer and other non-revenue sports. This could lead to several outcomes:


1. Smaller Rosters: Teams might have to cut the number of players on their rosters. This means fewer opportunities for athletes to play college soccer.

2. Dropping to Lower Divisions: Some schools might decide to move their soccer teams from Division 1 to Division 2 or 3, where there are fewer financial pressures.

3. Cutting Programs: In the worst-case scenario, some schools might have to completely cut their men's soccer programs.

I see cutting more men's D1 programs.
https://www.sportsrecruitingusa.com/post/the-future-of-ncaa-men-s-soccer

[jknezek]

Anyone who thinks soccer can be D3 and football D1 doesn't know enough about the NCAA to be reputable

[WUPHF]

Anyone who thinks soccer can be D3 and football D1 doesn't know enough about the NCAA to be reputable

I was surprised to see point No. 2 as I do not think that is allowed under current NCAA policy, but maybe I am wrong.

But let's say it is allowed, hypothetically or otherwise, I do not see a Division I program moving some sports to Division II or Division III.  Those schools move straight to No. 3.

[Ron Boerger]

You can't split divisions.  It's all D1 or bust.  A probable outcome is teams totally cutting non-revenue producing sports.

Schools that have splits (like Colorado College, many east coast schools) were grandfathered in when the rules were changed.

[jknezek]

Anyone who thinks soccer can be D3 and football D1 doesn't know enough about the NCAA to be reputable

I was surprised to see point No. 2 as I do not believed that is allowed under current NCAA policy, but maybe I am wrong.

But let's say it is allowed, hypothetically or otherwise, I do not see a Division I program moving some sports to Division II or Division III.  Those schools move straight to No. 3.

2 is not allowed. There are still a few grandfathered programs floating around out there, but you can't go to that option now. 3 is possible. Honestly though, I wouldn't mourn the loss of D1 men's soccer all that much. It would surely push down through the ranks and players who want to play in college will go D2 or D3, and there will be fewer spots overall, which is a shame for kids who just want to play a little longer. But D2/D3 schools will happily fill rosters with paying student athletes.

In all honesty, D1 soccer simply isn't a path to anywhere anymore. If you are good enough to even consider soccer as a career, academies are far better options and they usually have college programs attached. They don't draw crowds, it's expensive, and most D1 schools don't need 30-40 paying soccer players at their giant state schools to make budget.

I think this is how we are going to have to think about most men's non-revenue sports. D1 is just going to coalesce around the big 3, maybe a couple more options based on region, hockey in the north for example, lacrosse in the northeast/mid-atlantic, but most other sports are likely to be greatly reduced or go away over the next 20 years.

Going to suck for our Olympic teams...

[Kuiper]

There is another option, although it would require NCAA rule changes. That would be D1 continues with rules that are modified to be closer to D3.  That sounds crazy, but given the current legal situation, it seems more likely that either football or basketball break off entirely from the NCAA or Congress legislates some kind of exemption for D3 sports that allows schools to split, then maintaining the status quo of rules.  To my mind, current NCAA rules are actually the least likely obstacles to major reform because either the courts or the NCAA are going to change those rules one way or another under existing challenges.  Heck, they are being changed radically already under the House settlement and there are more lawsuits to come. 

A three-tiered competition level, all three levels of which are largely subject to something closer to D3 rules, although perhaps not the same rules exactly (e.g., D1 stays with more practice time and spring games etc), would preserve the desire for different levels, while keeping the sports alive.  There will be political support for that if it ever gets to that level.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Anyone who thinks soccer can be D3 and football D1 doesn't know enough about the NCAA to be reputable

I was surprised to see point No. 2 as I do not think that is allowed under current NCAA policy, but maybe I am wrong.

But let's say it is allowed, hypothetically or otherwise, I do not see a Division I program moving some sports to Division II or Division III.  Those schools move straight to No. 3.

Perhaps, but #1 and #2 are very true and in many ways ultimately may benefit D3.

Yes, no one seriously goes to college to play in the next level now as it should be because of the way the college competition is set up. The MLS "Super Draft" is a joke. Playing college soccer is kind of like playing high school soccer in that the next level does not really take it to seriously. That's just the way it is now.

[eaglesoccerdad]

The D1 schools cant carry 30-40 players since the rosters will be capped at 26. Non-Power 3/4/5 schools will struggle to compete with the Power schools that can provide $$ to 26 players now. IMO it will make it much more difficult for domestic players to land roster spots at the top D1 schools. As previously mentioned the top domestics will be better off going pro (USL or MLSNext) as young as possible instead of the college route. Maybe will end up pushing more talented players to D3 which is trend i think that is already occuring

[Gregory Sager]

Anyone who thinks soccer can be D3 and football D1 doesn't know enough about the NCAA to be reputable

I was surprised to see point No. 2 as I do not believed that is allowed under current NCAA policy, but maybe I am wrong.

But let's say it is allowed, hypothetically or otherwise, I do not see a Division I program moving some sports to Division II or Division III.  Those schools move straight to No. 3.

2 is not allowed. There are still a few grandfathered programs floating around out there, but you can't go to that option now. 3 is possible. Honestly though, I wouldn't mourn the loss of D1 men's soccer all that much. It would surely push down through the ranks and players who want to play in college will go D2 or D3, and there will be fewer spots overall, which is a shame for kids who just want to play a little longer.

Fewer spots overall, but there are currently fewer kids to fill those spots, so it all comes out in the wash.

[Hopkins92]

You can't split divisions.  It's all D1 or bust.  A probable outcome is teams totally cutting non-revenue producing sports.

Schools that have splits (like Colorado College, many east coast schools) were grandfathered in when the rules were changed.

*waves vigorously*

I'm old enough to have been around when Georgetown was only D1 in basketball.