Significant changes may be on the horizon for college soccer. A comprehensive report by Sportico, published on Sunday, outlined various potential reforms, with a key focus on converting men’s soccer into a year-round sport. If this proposal is approved, it would allow men’s soccer to align more closely with the professional framework of the sport, while also lifting NCAA restrictions that currently hinder player development.
U.S. Soccer, the national governing body for the sport, appears to be in favor of this transition, although the NCAA’s willingness to adopt a new framework remains uncertain. Additionally, Sportico’s report highlighted a more immediate adjustment concerning the College Cups for both men’s and women’s teams, which are the championship events for college soccer. ESPN, the network that broadcasts these competitions, is said to be “supportive” of a plan that would have both College Cups played over the same weekend and at the same venue, rather than in separate locations.
This change would be advantageous for ESPN, as it would reduce the resources needed for broadcasting if both events occurred on the same days in the same stadium. However, if the men’s soccer season transitions to a year-round format, the structure of the championship—whether there would still be a separate College Cup in the winter and another in the spring when only a few schools are active—remains ambiguous.
Consequently, viewers accustomed to scheduling the women’s College Cup one weekend followed by the men’s the next may need to reconsider their plans in the coming years.
