(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

(12-11-2013 11:09 AM)TheDancinMonarch Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

FYI.

The Monarchs have been selected to the NCAA Tournament four consecutive years and 10 of the last 12 seasons. And each selection but 1 was as an at-large vice champion of a poor conference.

(12-11-2013 12:35 AM)UC Niner Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

Pretty much spot on here National. CUSA is a very strong conference. The ACC and Pac 12 will always be 1 and 2 in soccer, but CUSA, AAC, and Big East will compete for that 3,4, and 5 spots in conference ranking every year. The B1G and Big West will also throw their names into that second tier every now and then.

College soccer has really evolved over the past few years. It's not yet to the point where it's making money for Athletic Departments, but it's getting a lot better. Schools are committing more resources to the sport, and the game has grown because of it.

(12-11-2013 11:37 AM)FIUFanatic Wrote:  FIU has a proud Soccer history, as we used to be a very strong soccer program. FIU won 2 National Championships (1982 and 1984) and was runner up once (1985) during our last years in Division 2. FIU played for the Division I National Championship in 1996, losing the championship to St. John's.
We have a new coach, Kenny Arena, son of former US National Team coach and current L.A. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, which we hope can bring back FIU Soccer to a high level of respectability. But for the last 10 years or so, our program has been mediocre, since we haven't been to NCAA tournament since 2004.

(12-10-2013 11:57 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  I noticed that the University of New Mexico of CUSA--didn't know they were playing soccer in cusa and don't know why--is in the final four in the ncaa men's college soccer tournament. I also noticed that there is SEC and Big 12 teams in the league. As somewhat of a novice on college soccer I was wondering if someone could tell me which teams are in the league and how it stacks up nationally against the so called power conferences. I know that olympic sports are a different animal, and that the P5 doesn't necessarily mean much outside of college football and hoops but I was really impressed to see a representative of my team's current league (ECU) make it that far. I don't think ECU has ever had a soccer team so I don't keep up with the sport much but for the fans who do would you please tell me a little bit about CUSA soccer and their reputation among their peers? THANKS

(12-11-2013 12:20 PM)919R Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 11:37 AM)FIUFanatic Wrote:  FIU has a proud Soccer history, as we used to be a very strong soccer program. FIU won 2 National Championships (1982 and 1984) and was runner up once (1985) during our last years in Division 2. FIU played for the Division I National Championship in 1996, losing the championship to St. John's.
We have a new coach, Kenny Arena, son of former US National Team coach and current L.A. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, which we hope can bring back FIU Soccer to a high level of respectability. But for the last 10 years or so, our program has been mediocre, since we haven't been to NCAA tournament since 2004.

FIU knocked Charlotte out in that 1996 Final Four, btw.

(12-11-2013 12:19 PM)919R Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 12:35 AM)UC Niner Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

Pretty much spot on here National. CUSA is a very strong conference. The ACC and Pac 12 will always be 1 and 2 in soccer, but CUSA, AAC, and Big East will compete for that 3,4, and 5 spots in conference ranking every year. The B1G and Big West will also throw their names into that second tier every now and then.

College soccer has really evolved over the past few years. It's not yet to the point where it's making money for Athletic Departments, but it's getting a lot better. Schools are committing more resources to the sport, and the game has grown because of it.

Billybobby, Charlotte was also in the 2011 National Championship game vs. the Tar Holes (our hated in-state rival) and lost 1-0 in a very "controversial" manner.

(12-11-2013 03:05 PM)randaddyminer Wrote:  They used to hold a soccer tournament here in El Paso (cohen stadium), Juarez (Benito Juarez stadium) and Las Cruces (aggie memorial stadium) at the end of the NCAA season for college teams. The tournament featured the two NCAA championship game participants, the NAIA champion, either the division 2 or the university club champion, the Mexican university champion, a South American university champion, the Canadian champion and a European champion. The tournament was done away with when the NCAA said that the games played in the tournament would count towards next season's games.

oddly enough, the club champion, UTEP, and NCAA champion, Virginia, played in the same tournament with the win going to Virginia 2-0. Almost 3 years later, the exact same two teams would meet for the US open cup championship, the UTEP club playing as the El Paso Patriots and University of Virginia playing as the Richmond Kickers. The kickers won in PKs.

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

(12-11-2013 09:11 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  with AAC and MAC schools winning national championships recently I would say CUSA is more likely 3rd or 4th best among the G5, not the country.

(12-11-2013 09:11 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

with AAC and MAC schools winning national championships recently I would say CUSA is more likely 3rd or 4th best among the G5, not the country.

(12-11-2013 09:11 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 12:23 AM)Niner National Wrote:  UNM, Charlotte, and UAB are all really strong programs. ODU was really good this year too, but I'm not sure if they are always good or not.

CUSA is probably the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country. I'd put the ACC and PAC 12 ahead with the AAC looking about equal through one season.

with AAC and MAC schools winning national championships recently I would say CUSA is more likely 3rd or 4th best among the G5, not the country.

(12-11-2013 10:13 PM)Monarch_Pride Wrote:  

(12-11-2013 09:11 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  with AAC and MAC schools winning national championships recently I would say CUSA is more likely 3rd or 4th best among the G5, not the country.

Dat ignorance