My nephew is a HS junior and is playing for a non-academy MLS Next club. While playing "pro" could be an option, he would like to play in college and is going through the recruiting process now.

Biggest thing that he is learning is to not be in a rush with anything because of the uncertainty with things - that includes the settlement, transfer portal and international players. Biggest thing for him is going somewhere (regardless if D1 or D3), he wants to play rather than ride the bench for 4 years. So, that is factoring into where is actively looking.

Should be interesting to see where things fall out.

Anonymous wrote:D1 > D3 > D1 Club Soccer > D2

There are DI club soccer programs that are better than many D3 programs

Anonymous wrote:*football is a decently big deal*

Bit of an understatement?

Absolutely. I was being sarcastic.

D1 > D3 > D1 Club Soccer > D2

*football is a decently big deal*

Bit of an understatement?

Anonymous wrote:Even D2 schools have a lot of foreign students on their men's rosters.

There are so many more opportunities for female college soccer players.

True - and even at D3 and NAIA schools. Locally, Washington Adventist Univ had 27 International players last year and probably a similar number this year.

https://www.wau.edu/shock-waus-coach-carroll-brings-on-highest-number-of-international-recruits-for-new-soccer-season/

Anonymous wrote:You get football or men's soccer never both.

Not true at all. Every team in the top eight of the current men’s college soccer rankings plays FBS football. Ohio State and Clemson - where football is a decently big deal - are ranked 5th and 8th, respectively. Clemson won the national championship in soccer last year.

Even D2 schools have a lot of foreign students on their men's rosters.

There are so many more opportunities for female college soccer players.

You get football or men's soccer never both.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No school in the Big 12 has men’s soccer. West Virginia, Texas Tech, and so on. It’s a shame.

West Virginia has a men's DI soccer team. They play in the MAC because no other university in the Big 12 has a men's program. Their team is actually very good.

They play in the Sun Belt now, along with fellow Big 12 member UCF. What’s interesting about the Sun Belt is that both Kentucky and South Carolina also play soccer in that conference.

It’s a very good league. Marshall and JMU are solid programs as well.

That’s awesome. Would love to see some of the Messi effect trickle down to college.

maybe when messi starts coaching it will. but until then we have old school kick and run soccer. Most kids that play club don't watch college soccer because of the way they play.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No school in the Big 12 has men’s soccer. West Virginia, Texas Tech, and so on. It’s a shame.

West Virginia has a men's DI soccer team. They play in the MAC because no other university in the Big 12 has a men's program. Their team is actually very good.

They play in the Sun Belt now, along with fellow Big 12 member UCF. What’s interesting about the Sun Belt is that both Kentucky and South Carolina also play soccer in that conference.

It’s a very good league. Marshall and JMU are solid programs as well.

That’s awesome. Would love to see some of the Messi effect trickle down to college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No school in the Big 12 has men’s soccer. West Virginia, Texas Tech, and so on. It’s a shame.

West Virginia has a men's DI soccer team. They play in the MAC because no other university in the Big 12 has a men's program. Their team is actually very good.

They play in the Sun Belt now, along with fellow Big 12 member UCF. What’s interesting about the Sun Belt is that both Kentucky and South Carolina also play soccer in that conference.

It’s a very good league. Marshall and JMU are solid programs as well.

I hate to see young men signing pro contracts when they could have the college experience.

I mean we all know the US Soccer system is broken, why can’t new Men’s D1 programs be part of the answer?

I actually thought all of the schools listed already had D1 men’s programs and was shocked to learn that they did not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great deal for these international athletes, but if we had more college programs, surely more US kids could play D1.

Now to be fair these big powerhouse schools have Club soccer, but we all know that’s not the same - not even as good as D3 soccer.

Actually if you have seen some of the top P4 school mens club soccer games I think you might change your mind about that.

I mean we have D1 quality athletes playing at D3 schools for men’s soccer so …. I think probably not.

Anonymous wrote:You cannot tell me that the University of Florida could not, if they wanted to, produce national championship teams with players ready to play overseas.

I have no doubt that UF could also make this into a revenue sport. This is what they do (to be fair, those other powerhouses could too — Texas, Arizona, Georgia etc). We have a lot of fans dying to see great soccer. The system could improve.