Conference Realignment Board

Joined: 01/01/2005 Posts: 33818
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Given there is a national team level to football, collegiate

football has additional problems that isn't found with the other sports. If the USSF wants to be competitive with the other nations at the World Cup, then I am not sure if collegiate football is included in their plans. More specifically when it comes to player development.

Assuming USSF's scouting continues to improve in identifying talent at a younger age, then the players who have the best chance of making the national teams will mostly likely go the academy route with either a MLS club or foreign club. If the most talented US players are not playing for a collegiate team, then that should reduce the overall quality of the product.

Right now collegiate football is a feeder for MLS. If MLS wants to continue improving its image, then it may get to a point where MLS clubs may no longer sign collegiate footballers because they are drawing players from theirs academies and/or their USSL affiliates. If ACC wants to capitalize on this soccer craze, then it needs to make sure its players end up playing for either a MLS club or one of the top tier European clubs because that will ensure the quality is high enough to attract new audiences.

(In response to this post by HOO86)

Posted: 03/05/2017 at 5:18PM

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Current Thread:

How can ACC soccer capitalize on all of this soccer craze? -- HOO86 03/05/2017 4:42PM

There is definitely opportunity with this. -- hokie-c 03/06/2017 07:30AM

I don't see college soccer blowing up... -- BROman Hokie 03/06/2017 1:11PM

Well stated. ** -- Old Line Hokie 03/06/2017 6:45PM

Given there is a national team level to football, collegiate -- VTHokie2000 03/05/2017 5:18PM

Like baseball, best players won't play for a college. ** -- chuckd4vt 03/06/2017 10:37AM

I don't think that up for debate. Professional anything has better talent. -- HOO86 03/06/2017 2:09PM

Key difference is best 18 and 19 yr olds play college fball and bball. ** -- chuckd4vt 03/06/2017 5:44PM

True, but another key difference is -- RTFC 03/06/2017 10:50PM

Only because those sports don't have an academy system -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 8:05PM

For whatever reason, best players aren't competing for VT or FSU. -- chuckd4vt 03/07/2017 11:37AM

I think you missed the point. The best players (US or International) -- VTHokie2000 03/07/2017 12:27PM

What? EXACTLY my point. Not having best players hurts the game. -- chuckd4vt 03/07/2017 3:32PM

I am not sure "hold college soccer back" is the right way to look -- VTHokie2000 03/07/2017 4:19PM

I understood. Point remains, VT isn't gonna score big bucks off soccer. ** -- chuckd4vt 03/08/2017 2:41PM

I agree that VT will never make large sums of money from soccer -- VTHokie2000 03/09/2017 3:47PM

I wasn't comparing collegiate football with professional football -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 2:32PM

I'm more interested in the trend than in Right Now though. -- HOO86 03/06/2017 3:34PM

I wasn't suggesting that college soccer should go head to head with -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 3:52PM

The overall growth of the sport would have to fuel it. -- HOO86 03/06/2017 5:49PM

Honestly I believe the European leagues will be a bigger factor -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 8:03PM

This leaves football as the only fall sport to sell the ACC Network. -- HOO86 03/06/2017 8:30PM

That may be an unfortunate reality given the USSF's primary -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 9:22PM

I disagree because MLB teams are still drafting collegiate players -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 12:00PM

If college went to wooden bats, it would climb. -- OBX 03/06/2017 12:11PM

I am not sure if that would be true or not given that HS baseball -- VTHokie2000 03/06/2017 12:25PM

Both the Cape Cod league -- mancunian 03/07/2017 08:44AM

When I was younger (born in '77) I used to attend Turks games -- VTHokie2000 03/07/2017 10:54AM

Valley League went to wood bats in the early 90s. ** -- mancunian 03/07/2017 11:06AM

They will not switch due to costs. -- Atlee Hokie 03/07/2017 07:40AM

When I played LL in the 80s every player brought their own bat -- VTHokie2000 03/07/2017 10:47AM

Given there is a national team level to football, collegiate

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