Conference Realignment Board

Joined: 01/01/2005 Posts: 33818
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Honestly I believe the European leagues will be a bigger factor

than MLS when it comes to recruiting the top US young talent. MLS has a few things working against it that will keep it as a second or even third tier premier league even when factoring in the academy system regardless of league. If MLS wants to improve its image and be considered a good option for the US to develop its young national team players, then MLS clubs will need to start signing more top European and/or South American players in their prime. Even then I don't see MLS using college soccer like how the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB use collegiate athletics. I do think at some point MLS will decide to eliminate its Super Draft.

As far as baseball goes the sport will always have talented players like Todd Helton, Stephen Strasburg, or Mark Appel who opt to spend 3 years in college instead of working their way through the minor league system. Now if the NBA, NHL, NFL, or MLB ever decided to incorporate an academy system like what is found in soccer, then those collegiate sports would be just as impacted as what we see in collegiate soccer.

(In response to this post by HOO86)

Posted: 03/06/2017 at 8:03PM

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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

Honestly I believe the European leagues will be a bigger factor

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