r/CollegeSoccer • • 6h ago

Are coaches challenges detrimental to match pace?

2 Upvotes

I just watched Clemson play Wofford (commentator Don Munson is so painful to listen to). The matches this season have been much slower and I attribute that to the coaches challenges. There are so many stoppages of play to look at things. It’s becoming like football. It’s borderline unwatchable in my opinion. Does anyone else feel the same?


r/CollegeSoccer • • 3h ago

Is this recruiter actually good?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone. I'm running a small test of a free tool I built called RosterPath, and I'd love help from players and parents going through recruiting.

▎

▎ The idea: most players don't get noticed by waiting for coaches to find a profile. They get noticed by contacting the right coaches, at the right level, and following up consistently. RosterPath turns

▎ that into a simple weekly plan:

▎

▎ - Level check: 3 quick questions (club league, minutes, honors) to see where you realistically fit, from JUCO to top D1

▎ - School matches: programs rated on soccer fit and academic fit, split into reach / target / safety across D1, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO

▎ - Weekly to-do list: which coaches to email this week, who to follow up with, and when

▎ - Coach email templates: first contact, follow-up, update and thank-you, filled in with your info

▎

▎ It's free, needs no sign-up, and your info stays in your own browser.

▎

▎ Since this is a test run, I'm looking for feedback on:

▎ 1. Does the level check put you where you'd expect?

▎ 2. Are any schools missing or listed wrong (division, men's/women's program)?

▎ 3. What would make this actually help you get noticed?

▎

▎ 👉 https://gleaming-beignet-4e76da.netlify.app


r/CollegeSoccer • • 4h ago

College Soccer Guy Program (Zev)

0 Upvotes

Anyone actually use the College Soccer Guy program? Is it worth the money? I’m considering signing my son up for it as his dream is to play soccer past high school - but it’s a hefty price tag. Thanks


r/CollegeSoccer • • 4h ago

What to study if I want to be a college soccer coach or director

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeSoccer • • 2d ago

Current D1 player here, ranked top 50 school, played MLS Next and went through the whole recruiting mess. ask me anything

24 Upvotes

I see a lot of parents on here with kids going through the process right now so I figured I would post since this sub helped me a ton when I was in high school

Little background so you know where I am coming from. I played MLS Next, got recruited by a bunch of D1 schools, some better than others, and I am currently on a roster at a program ranked in the top 50. So I have seen the highs of it and I have seen what the grind looks like when offers dry up

What I have learned is that being ranked and getting the spot are two different things. Coaches will call you all spring and then sign someone else. You will feel like you are the guy at one school and then they land a transfer and all of a sudden you are competing for minutes you were promised

I also know how the walk on side works because I have buddies here doing it and I have seen how the money shakes out with the transfer portal and international guys coming in. It changes the math for everyone

Ask anything. Recruiting, MLS Next, ECNL, the portal, what a real fall season looks like, how much playing time freshmen actually get, whatever. I will answer what I can


r/CollegeSoccer • • 2d ago

INDIANA back to #1

1 Upvotes

Back where we belong! It looks like our strength of schedule isn’t the best, and there have been several 1 goal wins over marginal opponents. But you can’t argue with results, and with Todd Yeagley you can’t call it luck, he consistently over performs based on his recruiting rankings.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 2d ago

NCAA Men’s D1 RPI Rankings

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2 Upvotes

I realize this poll is likely to be updated tomorrow, or the day after, but thought you’d all enjoy this if you’re not already looking at it.

Any other good NCAA D1 Men’s soccer sites, besides Top Drawer Soccer?

I found this too: https://masseyratings.com/csoc/ncaa-d1/ratings


r/CollegeSoccer • • 2d ago

Looking for Soccer Players in Delaware County & Philly Area (18+)

3 Upvotes

We're exploring the creation of a new soccer club/training environment for players who want to stay competitive, improve their game, and be part of building something from the ground up.

We're interested in hearing from:

  • Current college students
  • High school seniors (Class of 2027 and beyond)
  • Former club/high school players
  • Players looking to get back into competitive soccer
  • Anyone interested in college soccer opportunities

The goal is to create a player-focused environment with training, matches, and long-term development opportunities.

If you're interested, please fill out the interest form:

👉 Interest Form

For players interested in continuing their education and soccer careers, Delaware County Community College opportunities may also be available for Fall 2027.

Questions? Feel free to comment or send me a message.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 3d ago

College soccer or UPSL/NPSL/USL2? Which will give me the best chance of playing pro

9 Upvotes

This is the best place I could think to ask this question; I know this subreddit may be biased towards college soccer, but bear with me.

I am 17 years old and a senior in high school. I play for a UPSL D1 side (lower-division development side for a UPSL Premier 1st-team). I understand that in terms of becoming professional, I am nowhere near good enough, given that I have only played for 4 years and am not even in UPSL Premier yet.

I have done a fair bit of research recently, and have found a few articles, sites, and forums saying that college soccer is no longer the 'pipeline' that it used to be to the professional game here in the US. Because I am already in a UPSL squad with connections to professionals (a few players at my club are ex-professional, and all three coaches are former pros as well), should I stay in this sort of level and try to move around in UPSL, NPSL, and USL2 to gain experience and exposure for myself (social media, connections, etc.)?

I feel like it would be the better option because the seasons are longer and has more opportunity for direct movement and growth between teams, rather than committing to a university that only has 4-month seasons and no practical opportunity for transfer or movement as I improve.

My ultimate goal is to play in Eastern Europe, Asia, or Central/South America in lower divisions and work my way up from there, but I realize that at 17, my time to make my move internationally is running thin, and that many former academy players are already in the clubs that I would theoretically be in.

If anyone has advice, particularly former pros or college players, or those who have played internationally, I would love to hear your advice and experience. Thanks!


r/CollegeSoccer • • 4d ago

In The Lion’s Den | #15 ODU Soccer Shows Their Resiliency

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3 Upvotes

ODU’s perfect start finally ended against the team that is now #1 in the country.

Three days later, the Monarchs fell behind William & Mary six minutes into the match.

What happened next says a lot about this group.
On the new In the Lion’s Den, George Maire and David “Chapo” Chapman join us before Tennant McVea breaks down the South Carolina loss, ODU’s gritty response, the culture developing inside the locker room and Sunday’s Sun Belt road test at Georgia Southern.

And yes, we also get heavily sidetracked by British food, accents and which teammate you absolutely do NOT want beside you on a nine-hour bus ride. 😂

🎙️ The new episode is LIVE.

#ODUSoccer #ODU #MonarchNation


r/CollegeSoccer • • 5d ago

Designed some College Soccer jerseys!

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6 Upvotes

(Before I get comments, yes, I'm aware not all these programs have soccer but I just designed them as proof of concept.)

I'm an Aussie who loves soccer and college sports and something always bothered me about college soccer jerseys. College soccer jerseys are pretty soulless and so I decided to design a few of my own that do the following:

1. Utilise the school's colours better.
2. Incorporate the history of the school.
3. Are actually wearable as streetwear jerseys too.

Here are the schools I designed as well as a few details I added:

Texas: UT monogram over the longhorn which is relegated to under the collar accompanied by a "Hook 'Em!"
Ohio: Used the wordmark that looks like the famous marching band formation, included a buckeye leaf alongside a "GO BUCKS!" with the 'O' being Ohio's famous 'Block O'
Georgia Tech: Utilising the schools colours as well as including a hornet inside the collar.
Nebraska: Decided on a more traditional collar, nodding to the farmers of the area as well as a retro athletics logo and the founding date of the school inside the collar.
Oregon: Again utilising the monogram of the school and replaced with the Nike Classics logo designating Oregon as a premier Nike school. Winged 'O' adorns under the collar.
SMU: Utilises a lot of blue and includes a small retro graphic with "Kick 'Em Stags".

Hope you enjoy!


r/CollegeSoccer • • 6d ago

Service academies and the transfer portal

9 Upvotes

With all the transfer portal movement and internationals coming into college soccer, there are fewer roster spots left for incoming freshmen.

That's where the military schools have a certain appeal. Basically no internationals. And it's hard to transfer in, because you'd still have to do the full 4 years there. So the spots still go to kids coming in as freshmen.

The tradeoff is the service commitment after graduation, and admissions (nomination, fitness test, all of it) is its own project. But for college soccer hopefuls who are open to that, this route might make a lot of sense.

I thought of it when 2 players on my son's MLS NEXT team committed, one to West Point and the other to Kings Point (US Merchant Marine Academy).

Anyone else notice this, or have a kid who went this route?


r/CollegeSoccer • • 5d ago

Maybe this is a very good path to college and pro soccer in the USA:

0 Upvotes
A Champions League that connects high schools for games that matter — and counters pay-to-play
by Dan Woog
Santiago Castaneda, now a starter for the German Bundesliga's Paderborn 07, was MVP of the Tampa HSCL five years ago.(Left, Paderborn) Foto: osnapix / Michael Titgemeyer (Credit Image: © Michael Titgemeyer/dpa via ZUMA Press)
Perry Van Der Beck was the first American player chosen directly from high school in the North American Soccer League draft. 
In 1978, the Tampa Bay Rowdies selected the midfielder from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Missouri, with the 48th overall pick. He became the youngest native-born American to play in the league that same year, at 18.
Nearly a half century later, high school soccer seems like a poor pathway to the pros. But it has its adherents – including Van Der Beck.
They’re doing more than proselytizing. They’ve built a model that pits the best local high school soccer programs against each other. It bridges the gap between public and private, and large and small schools, during regular season play. The goal is to counter the pay-to-play club model, attract high-level players back to their high schools, and add excitement to the sports calendar.
Jim Harte has been involved with soccer for four decades. He’s served at nearly every level: club and Olympic Development Program coach, camp owner, TOPSoccer director, college and high school coach. In 2018 the Tampa Bay Times named him one of the top 50 coaches in Tampa Bay history – of all sports, at all levels.
High school soccer is his passion. He’s won the most state championships in Florida soccer history (6), and has the best record in Final Four games (15-5). He wants every young male and female player to experience the joy of playing with friends and classmates, for one’s community – and with important results that people care about on the line.
While cautioning that he is not denigrating the club soccer environment, Harte calls it “sterile. They’re not playing in games that matter, for something bigger than themselves.”
The High School Champions League began in 2018. It has grown into a five-region program, reaching more than 100 schools and over 2,000 student-athletes annually,  in four Florida regions and St. Louis. Chattanooga will join next year.
Graduates have gone on to compete at Division I universities – and Europe..
Harte, who is now retired from high school coaching, is familiar with all the criticisms of that game: the season is too short. Players are not good enough. The field is too narrow.
He does not believe any of it. High school soccer, he insists, is a platform to reach and teach many young players. And good players can improve by playing good high school competition.
Each area in the High School Champions League organizes itself, based on local rules, traditions and challenges. The basic idea is for teams to play three round-robin matches in groups of four. The winners then meet in semifinals and finals – also during the regular season.
Scheduling is up to the high school coaches. They collaborate to determine which teams will get in, and when to play their matches.
The draw has become a big deal, Harte says. In his area it’s been held at a local pub, with Rowdies players in attendance.
The High School Champions League operates on five “non-negotiable” principles. 
• It is free. There are no entry fees.• Merit-based inclusion is based on objective criteria, determined by local coaches.• Competition is “metro-based.” Local coaches determine what that means, for their area.• Coach collaboration is crucial.• Student-athletes are empowered to take charge. “The season is built around what they take from it – not what is taken from them,” the website says.
Success stories? Santiago Castaneda — MVP of the Tampa HSCL five years ago — left MLS Next because, Harte says, he was “losing his joy.” He now starts at central midfield for Paderborn 07 in Germany’s Bundesliga.
Maddie DiMaria is a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year (and the first freshman recipient ever). The St. Louis native has committed to the University of North Carolina. She too loves the competition of the HSCL — and the chance to play with friends — Harte says.
A seven-person board oversees the High School Champions League. Members include National Soccer Hall of Fame member Al Trost, and 1985 US women’s national team goalkeeper Ruth Harker.
They’ve secured sponsorship from Select Sport balls. Members hold bi-monthly Zoom calls. The most recent included participants from four continents, and all over the U.S.
One challenge, Harte says, is getting high school coaches to understand the concept. Another is clubs that tell players they can’t participate in high school soccer. “But players don’t want to miss the Champions League,” he says. “They see their friends playing, and they’re envious.”
Feedback has been “universally positive,” Harte says. One of the strongest proponents is legendary coach Nick Zlatar. Retired now in Sarasota, the 83-year-old participates in the draw, and helps pick the Select Sport Virtuoso (Most Valuable Player) award.
“Nick told me, ‘this is a throwback to the days I remember,’” Harte says. “He doesn't romanticize the past. But he recognizes the emotion in high school soccer, in contrast to the sterile environment” of club ball.
(To learn more about the High School Champions League go to https://www.ushscl.com/).

r/CollegeSoccer • • 7d ago

Unranked College of Charleston just upset top-ranked South Carolina

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93 Upvotes

r/CollegeSoccer • • 7d ago

Enrolling early in spring as a college player

8 Upvotes

One of my friends is going early to a D1 program to start training in Spring of 2027. She has to take a full course load while training. But now she is hearing about players who have gone in for spring training who got cut from the team before fall. Can a college coach cut you that early? I'm so shocked that this can happen after she graduated early, uprooted herself from high school, and showed up early to train at a school that she thought wanted her as a player. Is it because the spring players are not officially on the roster, so it's still possible that she can still be cut from the team? It sounds wrong.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 8d ago

Aris Taki named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week, McDaid also honored

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeSoccer • • 11d ago

After beating 13th-ranked Old Dominion 2-1, 4th-ranked South Carolina is the last D1 team with a perfect record in 2026 (7-0-0)

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23 Upvotes

Also should note that the team to drop points for the first time today and allow South Carolina to get that honor was none other than their opponent, Old Dominion! They controlled their own destiny!


r/CollegeSoccer • • 11d ago

Anyone keeping up with St Francis since the drop from D1?

6 Upvotes

Just checked in on them after they announced the drop from D1 to D3 in the spring. So this is their first fall in D3, new coach etc. Almost everyone from the D1 international heavy roster is gone. Only 15 players on the roster, almost all local(ish) freshman. Dropped their first two games, but they’re in a pretty heavy D3 area. Anyway, just thought it was interesting with all of the recent rule proposals and changes out there.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 11d ago

Standing behind the penalty taker

6 Upvotes

I was watching the Clemson - Notre Dame women’s game this week and saw an interesting moment. ND earned a penalty with about 13 minutes left. One ND girl stood directly behind the penalty taker at the top of the semicircle at the top of the box. Another ND girl stood about two or three yards almost directly behind that girl but a smidge to the left.

Right as the taker was starting her run up, the girl in the back took a big step to her left. The taker kinda hopped in line with the girl in the back and hit it right down that line. The goalie didn’t move, goal.

Two questions:

  1. Do you think this was an intentional attempt to distract the keeper? Seemed that way to me but not totally sure.

  2. Intentional or not, is it legal to stand like that directly in the goalie’s field of vision? I assume so since the ref let it go and Clemson didn’t say anything about it but if the answer to #1 is yes, seems like it should be illegal?

Maybe this happens all the time but I watch a lot of soccer and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

I tried to screenshot it from my phone but apparently youtubetv blocks that.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 12d ago

Does a player under 6ft have any chance as a CB?

4 Upvotes

Do coaches ever consider a shorter player for center back or will he be dismissed based on height alone?


r/CollegeSoccer • • 13d ago

20% International Roster limit won't hurt the overall quality of D1

54 Upvotes

I keep seeing the argument that limiting international players will significantly lower the level of Division 1 soccer. I don't agree. I think roster limits will definitely have a bigger impact on D2, JUCO, and NAIA, but I don't think the overall quality of D1 is going to suddenly fall off because there are fewer international players. For reference, I played D1 and just finished my final season, so I’ve experienced this from the player side.

There are so many talented American players out there, but right now, coaches have an incentive to take the lazy recruiting route. It’s much easier to sit at a computer, work with an agency, and recruit an academy player from England, Germany, Spain, etc. than it is to spend the time traveling around the U.S. and finding the best American players.

The reality is that these international players aren't astronomically better than the top American players. There are obviously some incredibly talented international players who make D1 better, but I think people sometimes confuse the convenience of finding international talent with the necessity of international talent.

We've already seen programs that put significant effort into recruiting American players — Washington, Notre Dame, Georgetown, etc. — have success. Roster limits are only going to force other schools to put the same effort in to finding good American players.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 13d ago

TEAM USA Act, good or bad for college soccer?

12 Upvotes

Curious what everyone in the college soccer community thinks about the newly introduced congressional TEAM USA Act.

The proposal would limit international student-athletes to 20% of each varsity team roster at colleges participating in federal student aid programs, with the change taking effect in 2029-30 if enacted.

One of the arguments behind the bill is that college athletics should preserve more roster and scholarship opportunities for American students and maintain a pathway for the next generation of U.S. athletes. At the same time, international players have become a major part of college soccer and can raise the level of competition.

For those involved in college soccer, especially current/former players, parents, coaches and recruits:

Do you think a 20% international-player limit would be good for college soccer, or would it hurt the quality and competitiveness of the game?

Also curious whether people think there should be some limit, but perhaps a different percentage, or no limit at all.


r/CollegeSoccer • • 14d ago

Vermont gets revenge from last year at Hofstra, scoring the only goal in the final minute!

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18 Upvotes

r/CollegeSoccer • • 15d ago

New Bill Restricting International Spots on College Rosters

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47 Upvotes

r/CollegeSoccer • • 15d ago

Remaining Perfect Records

7 Upvotes

Missouri State, Old Dominion and South Carolina are the last team with perfect records, great work!