If you're going to be an amateur club (i.e. not pay guys), why not play in an actual amateur league instead of getting your butt kicked by pro clubs in the NISA?
Given their reported challenges in paying their refs (one of the reasons DCFC left), this isn't shocking.
------------ I have had many thoughts, that below USL-1 (3rd level of professional soccer currently) that the level below should be a huge regional league covering the whole country. Maybe 12-16 geographical conferences for travel and rivals. USL2 + NPSL + UPSL + any other regional leagues. Reassess financial, player and stadium standards to fit this league in such a way that teams become stabile and stay, not the constant churn, I maybe would put MLS-Next Pro Independents in the league as well or have them join USL-1. I don't believe the MLS- Next Pro really deserves a league of its own, it's really the reserve teams of MLS. Why aren't these games being played after the parent team plays so that the players who didn't play Saturday, as least get to play on Sunday? Could travel with the first and cut down expenses of flying 2 teams on separate days.... In fact, if all the parent clubs play on Saturday and all the reserve teams play on Sunday, you basically have a soccer weekend. Traveling fans who went to follow their team on Saturday and see an extra game on Sunday.
We've discussed this several times. One problem is those leagues don't want to work together. Another is that the step up costs to professional soccer is huge. Insurance requirements killed NPSL Pro. I'd love to see a national non-professional pyramid.
--------------- This national non-professional leagues would fit nicely under your 3 professional levels and above college soccer. I see USL-C & USL-1 continue to add teams and it would not surprise me if our 3 top pro leagues all end up around 32 teams... that would be 96 pro teams, that would be an excellent base for soccer in this country.
With NIL ... is there any way college soccer and some of the upper levels of non professional soccer merge in such a way where there is some more "extended" season options for USLL2/NPSL? The limits on college players playing on the same field with semi pro's or other things that limit things should go away. You'd think there would be a way around some of the 'rules' that were put in place for the 'before NIL' times.
------------ I understand USL-2 was created to work with college schedule, but really, how much learning/training does a player get for playing a couple months in USL-2 ? College is not going to lengthen its season either. Thus, and I think MLS was finally smart to figure this out and start academies and reserve teams. I still think the regional league serves a purpose for those who still want to play coming out of college and did not land elsewhere. I just think the regional league needs a longer schedule to kind of match MLS & USL seasons. They simply could modify the roster for some slots if a current college player wants to play waiting for college season to begin. But, I don't think we need a full on USL-2 for this. Other thought (and its just money of course), if MLS academies go up to U-18 (not sure on this), would it do any good to have a U-23 team added to the stable, or is that kind of what USL-2 accomplishes? Fun to think of all the permutations on this. I get MLS is doing what they do as a bu$ine$$, but seems we could create another path for others.
MLS Academies have a U19 (which is effectively U18) I believe. I also think their MLSNextPro essentially fills the U23 gap. One thought I had was if NCAA soccer was a fall sport, could you essentially extend the USLL2 season by saying if you can get college players to play for your team while still in school, could you extend the USLL2 season to early spring through summer? I thought there were rules about how many athletes from a particular college can be on the same USL2 team (which is silly, but whatever). There are a lot of colleges that don't have men's soccer teams to keep the Title IX stuff on the up and up (basically having so many male football players and needing women only sports to even the numbers). Just wondering if there are some markets there where a University Donor could get some "near University" branding permission to have a USL team that's essentially like a "club" team for the University that plays in USLL2 or something. You could pay those players to essentially replace a "traditional" scholarship of sorts. Just a thought. This would work well for Universities who had women's soccer team/facilities that there could be some overlap on.
------------------ Always going to be a problem balancing massive football programs against soccer, especially mens soccer. I can not for the life of me believe that USC, a world known university, does not have mens soccer. I am sure there are many others. I think as time goes on, college soccer will continue to be less important to the development of professional soccer players. College soccer will be that place that all those parents who pay gobs of money for club soccer want their kid to land, sometimes for the degree and sometimes to play soccer. We are better getting away from pay to play. Let the regional league absorb all those college kids who did go the pro route and let the professional side do what they do best- develope professional players
Florida State has a national championship winning women's soccer team, dedicated soccer stadium and no men's program. In its absence, there's a good NPSL team in town but this seems like a missed opportunity.
The "BIG 12" is pretty void of men's soccer and that's a big hole in the D4 map. KU, KState, MU, OSU, OU ... plenty. Oklahoma State has a pretty impressive women's stadium and no men's team (I know this because one of SKC's owners who passed away has his name on the building and supported the program a lot). Throw a "university club team" into USL L2 and play at the stadium ... think it would be fun. Athletes could potentially play a longer schedule than NCAA and still get a degree.
Remember that a college player can't play alongside professionals. Though in USL2 and NPSL they can play against professionals.
---------- NCAA is nothing more than a farm team for the NFL & NBA... do the rules apply to them also? Actually really the NFL as now the NBA has G League, baseball has always had AAA-AA etc and even hockey has 1-2 levels of minor league hockey. NFL really doesn't have that.
You'd think with NIL they could amend/rid themselves of this ... since some NIL paid college athletes make a LOT more than the "teammates" on some USLL2 level that a college kid could play along side.
Colleges are now paying players via "NIL" (Name Image and Likeness) often times MORE money than D3 soccer professionals. So why is there a reason to keep them from playing as teammates in the NCAA offseason?
Colleges do not pay players via NIL. That money comes from groups separate from the college. The money is not a type of employment, it is from the athlete selling their name, image, and likeness to sponsors. The colleges are now organizing those sponsors and likely directing who gets the money but it is not a direct payment.
Fair, and completely correct. But with this going on, the "reasons" for the not playing next/with paid athletes would likely be non existent you would think.
We've been over this a million g-d times. It's NOT the status of your teammates. It's the status of the TEAM. You can't play on a professional TEAM. An NCAA player can play against and even on the same team with players who have professional STATUS (which is something you have or don't have, regardless of whether or not you're currently getting paid.) 12.2.3.2.1 Professional Player as Team Member. An individual may participate with a professional on a team, provided the professional is not being paid by a professional team or league to play as a member of that team (e.g., summer basketball leagues with teams composed of both professional and amateur athletes). 12.2.3.2 Competition With Professionals. An individual shall not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics in a sport if the individual ever competed on an professional team (per Bylaw 12.02.4) in that sport. And what is a "professional team?" 12.02.4 Professional Athletics Team. A professional team is any organized team that: (a) Provides any of its players more than actual and necessary expenses for participation on the team, except as otherwise permitted by NCAA legislation. Actual and necessary expenses are limited to the following, provided the value of these items is commensurate with the fair market value in the locality of the player(s) and is not excessive in nature: (Revised: 4/25/02 effective 8/1/02) (1) Meals directly tied to competition and practice held in preparation for such competition; (2) Lodging directly tied to competition and practice held in preparation for such competition; (3) Apparel, equipment and supplies; (4) Coaching and instruction; (5) Health/medical insurance; (6) Transportation (expenses to and from practice competition, cost of transportation from home to training/ practice site at the beginning of the season and from training/practice site to home at the end of season); (7) Medical treatment and physical therapy; (8) Facility usage; (Revised: 4/24/03) (9) Entry fees; and (Revised: 4/24/03) (10) Other reasonable expenses; or (Adopted: 4/24/03, Revised: 10/28/04) (b) Declares itself to be professional (see Bylaw 12.2.3.2.4). (Revised: 8/8/02) It makes no effing difference what your teammates' status is. It's whether or not the team is a professional team. Read the rules. It's been the rule for 20+ years, FFS.