As the demographics of our Nation change, how long before The SEC realizes that college football is going to slowly go the way of the leather helmet.

How long before The SEC finds itself behind other conferences that have long had soccer programs.

Simply put participation in tackle football is dropping across the country while soccer continues to grow. The white populations of the south are shrinking while minority populations are increasing.

I’m really surprised The SEC hasn’t started addressing this yet.

Perhaps they'll go straight from football to the hunger games?

(07-20-2019 05:21 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Perhaps they'll go straight from football to the hunger games?

Good one

(07-19-2019 10:39 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  As the demographics of our Nation change, how long before The SEC realizes that college football is going to slowly go the way of the leather helmet.

How long before The SEC finds itself behind other conferences that have long had soccer programs.

Simply put participation in tackle football is dropping across the country while soccer continues to grow. The white populations of the south are shrinking while minority populations are increasing.

I’m really surprised The SEC hasn’t started addressing this yet.

As dominant as the NFL is, you have to pay attention to the fact that many of those NFL owners are buying soccer teams. I think they’re buying insurance policies.

None of the SEC schools have men’s soccer teams? That would surprise me.

(07-20-2019 02:26 PM)Hallcity Wrote:  

(07-19-2019 10:39 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  How long before The SEC finds itself behind other conferences that have long had soccer programs.

I’m really surprised The SEC hasn’t started addressing this yet.

None of the SEC schools have men’s soccer teams? That would surprise me.

Kentucky and South Carolina have men's soccer teams, with both playing in Conference USA. That's it currently among the 14 schools.

I've never actually seen a college soccer match. I don't even know when the season is.

(07-20-2019 05:41 PM)EvilVodka Wrote:  I've never actually seen a college soccer match. I don't even know when the season is.

I took my son to play indoor soccer while we were in Spain last year. One of the guys who put it together and participated was a retired professional soccer player. It can be a great game, or it can be a boring game - it all depends on the style of play... much like American Football.

BTW, the season is in the Fall, too.

Quote:The regular season will begin on August 30, 2019 and will continue into the third weekend of November 2019. The season will culminate with the four-team College Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, December 13–15, 2019.

My Grandson is a 7th grader playing for the 13U Space Coast squad representing Florida in the National Club Tournament in Denver this weekend.

He’s already a good player. His Mom forces him to play with the older guys to further develop his game. The last few years he has been attending the Real Madrid Camp in Miami.

Both his parents played college ball, my daughter basketball, my son in law college soccer. He is presently one of the top players in Florida. I hope he ends up at UofL but would be happy for him wherever he decides to go.

I wonder if a college indoor soccer league would do better? It seems soccer suffers from the same thing baseball does with the slow pace.

(07-21-2019 10:37 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wonder if a college indoor soccer league would do better? It seems soccer suffers from the same thing baseball does with the slow pace.

Style of play means everything in soccer just like it does in football, basketball and even baseball.

(07-21-2019 01:06 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 10:37 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wonder if a college indoor soccer league would do better? It seems soccer suffers from the same thing baseball does with the slow pace.

Style of play means everything in soccer just like it does in football, basketball and even baseball.

Soccer is a lot more entertaining than baseball.

Honestly I believe Americans see how we play soccer and think “that’s boring.” The reality is it’s not the game, it’s how dreadful we are playing it.

Soccer is called “the beautiful game” and it is when it’s played with skill, tact and grace. The MLS game barely passes as soccer. The rest of the world looks at professional soccer in the US and agrees with Americans. Soccer the way it’s played here in the States is awful.

What is played here in no way resembles what’s played at Anfield or in Manchester or Tottenham.

(07-21-2019 01:13 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 01:06 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 10:37 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wonder if a college indoor soccer league would do better? It seems soccer suffers from the same thing baseball does with the slow pace.

Style of play means everything in soccer just like it does in football, basketball and even baseball.

Soccer is a lot more entertaining than baseball.

(07-21-2019 03:03 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 01:13 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 01:06 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 10:37 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wonder if a college indoor soccer league would do better? It seems soccer suffers from the same thing baseball does with the slow pace.

Style of play means everything in soccer just like it does in football, basketball and even baseball.

Soccer is a lot more entertaining than baseball.

Baseball is what happens when you are trying to watch grass grow but these guys keep blocking the view for no apparent reason...

(07-21-2019 04:04 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 03:03 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 01:13 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 01:06 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 10:37 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wonder if a college indoor soccer league would do better? It seems soccer suffers from the same thing baseball does with the slow pace.

Style of play means everything in soccer just like it does in football, basketball and even baseball.

Soccer is a lot more entertaining than baseball.

Baseball is what happens when you are trying to watch grass grow but these guys keep blocking the view for no apparent reason...

No trolling baseball.

- The imminent demise of college football is greatly exaggerated. The lower divisions of college football will start to feel issues long before the P5 and G5. And those guys play for the love of the game, so I don't really see that being impacted except around the edges. When Americans stop filling college football rosters, you'll see a steady supply of foreign talent (like you already do in college tennis, for different reasons) instead. The NFL still pulls massive ratings, which translates into massive money for the players. Which is a magnet for those seeking to improve their lot in life. Until that changes, there will ALWAYS be college football.

- College soccer is seen as a HINDRANCE to the growth of the game in the US, and not the answer. The younger players playing for the US Men's National team ALL play overseas, and the best ones started overseas, and didn't go to US college to continue their development. Future generations are encouraged to be involved in the European system, rather than the college system in the US, where they focus exclusively on soccer, and not "waste time" with stuff like school. It's almost a requirement that they succeed there, before they can justify a spot on our national team.

- Soccer BLOWS baseball away in terms of excitement. It's no accident that the growth of MLS coincides with the decline of MLB. Soccer matches last 2 hours. No commercials. Constantly moving ball. Baseball -- especially college baseball -- takes well over 3 hours. With TONS of standing around. And commercial breaks every half inning, and whenever there is a pitching change. Ask a parent what they'd rather take their kid to, and soccer is beating baseball like a drum. Add in the fact that pro baseball plays 162 games .... 162!! ... and there's absolutely zero urgency in winning and losing from night to night.

- The SEC may never add soccer. But if they do, I'd suspect it'd generate the same interest college soccer has in other conferences. College Soccer will never reach the interest level that college football or college basketball have. And it'd be a stretch for it to even reach the college baseball interest.

(07-21-2019 02:56 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Soccer the way it’s played here in the States is awful.

Awful enough to dominate the Womens World Cup!

Boring is in the eye of the beholder. I think the NFL is boring but they seem to be developing a following.

The SEC will add a sport if they need a filler for the SECN. With mens and womens teams, soccer is Title IX friendly. I'm not sure it is the most economical way to add filler for the network.

(07-22-2019 10:15 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 02:56 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Soccer the way it’s played here in the States is awful.

Awful enough to dominate the Womens World Cup!

Boring is in the eye of the beholder. I think the NFL is boring but they seem to be developing a following.

The SEC will add a sport if they need a filler for the SECN. With mens and womens teams, soccer is Title IX friendly. I'm not sure it is the most economical way to add filler for the network.

Agree.

MLS is growing. I'm willing to bet at least half of the 70K in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta don't really care about the quality of play globally vs in the States. Speaking of filler time, it is a great outlet for tailgating types during the months with no (American) football. In fact, the more MLS grows the quality of play likely diminishes some with players on teams that otherwise wouldn't be with more roster spots available. Then again, some MLS clubs are raising the stakes with signing guys like Zlatan, Rooney, etc., to big contracts too.

I think filler time in the fall for the SECN is football game replays (which I'm willing to bet draws more eyeballs than live volleyball or women's soccer), that bald blowhard from Birmingham, and of course more football replays.

(07-22-2019 10:15 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  

(07-21-2019 02:56 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Soccer the way it’s played here in the States is awful.

Awful enough to dominate the Womens World Cup!

Boring is in the eye of the beholder. I think the NFL is boring but they seem to be developing a following.

The SEC will add a sport if they need a filler for the SECN. With mens and womens teams, soccer is Title IX friendly. I'm not sure it is the most economical way to add filler for the network.

You can't compare Women's Soccer to Men's Soccer --- it's apples and oranges. It's very similar to basketball that way.

The physical differences between the sexes becomes glaring when watching the two sports. For example, in prepping for the World Cup, the Women's National Team suffered a 5 - 2 loss to an Under15 Boys All Star team from Dallas.

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-...scrimmage/


I think the US's dominance in women's soccer is more a testament to how women's sports are treated in the US, as compared to the rest of the world, who don't invest resources in their women's programs like they do their men's programs. It's not about style of play. It's about the dominance of our players versus theirs.

A soccer game recently broke out in Notre Dame Stadium:



https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/20...734212001/


Dortmund defeated Liverpool in front of over 40,000 fans on July 19th.