The NCAA Men’s Division I Soccer Championship was this week with Vermont and Marshall playing for the title and Vermont winning in overtime. A fantastic game to watch, but how did we get here? Two so-called “mid-major” athletic programs competing for a national championship? Don’t forget Denver was another Final Four participant, leaving “Power 4”, Ohio State, as the only “household” name in the semifinals.
If you are considering playing men’s college soccer or are the parent or coach of someone looking to play men’s college soccer, I encourage you to read the following article about the current state of men’s college soccer. It clearly defines what is taking place at the NCAA Division I soccer level but also gives some background to why and how this is happening and the trickle-down effect it is having on all of college soccer and those that want to play college soccer.
I have been telling this same story the last few years, but it is good to see someone else put it into context.
I don’t love the situation and think it has made recruiting really challenging for everyone, but I think it is very important for kids and parents who want to play college soccer to know these facts. Many prospects are “DI or bust” and pay a lot of money to play in leagues and travel the country to get recruited but just don’t realize the WORLD they are up against in this process.
Coaches get paid to win and in the end, they are always going to pick an older player with top level international and experience playing against grown men versus a kid coming out of high school who has played in their state cup!
The player that scored the game-tying goal for Vermont is a 23 year old Hungarian that played in his country’s first division and played in the Euros for the Hungarian Youth National team!
If you feel challenged by the college soccer recruiting process, I am here to help.
Dan Rothert, founder of TSA Recruiting, has helped almost 200 prospects and their families land opportunities at right fit colleges at all levels. Each prospect has different priorities in what they are looking for in a college and has different qualities that a coach may or may not be looking for. TSA Recruiting leverages Dan’s almost 30 years of college coaching experience and connections to help those they work with find great opportunities that fit their needs.