Bring Mens Soccer to Big 12, Sign Petition

[rwinbladus]

Bring Mens Soccer to Big 12, Sign Petition

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This is a grass roots effort to encourage the Big 12 to add mens soccer. The Big 12 has a successful womens soccer program. (3 ranked in the top 25 as of 10/17/06). However men have no opporunity to play in the Big 12. Adding a conference will open opportunities for players nationwide. Perhaps another 400 players would be able to compete in NCAA soccer. Please take a moment to add your name to the online poll.
http://www.petitiononline.com/big12men/ (http://www.petitiononline.com/big12men/)
& visit
http://big12menssoccer.blogspot.com (http://big12menssoccer.blogspot.com)
Pass this email along to coaches, players, parents, post them to your sites, write to athletic directors and commissioners.

What is my motivation? I've got a eight year old boy who is a fan of a Big 12 team. Iits a long way from U9 to college soccer but having a local team he can follow will help keep him motivated. Big 12 mens soccer will bring the sport closer to home.

Besides more conferences will mean more scholarships.

[rwinbladus]

The petition is gaining steam: Please join it. www.petitiononline.com/big12men/

Please write to the Big 12 and to the various schools' athletic directors.

Big XII (mailto:Big12Sports@Big12Sports.com)

Athletic Directors

Baylor Ian McCaw (mailto:ian_mccaw@baylor.edu)

Colorado, Ceal Barry (mailto:ceal.barry@colorado.edu)

Iowa State Jamie Pollard (mailto:jbp@iastate.edu)

Kansas Lew Perkins (mailto:kuathletics@ku.edu)

Kansas State Tim Weiser (mailto:ksuad@k-state.edu)

Missouri ?

Nebraska Steve Pederson (mailto:Steve@huskers.com)

Oklahoma Joe Castiglione, Oklahoma Athletics Department 180 W Brooks, Norman, OK 73019

Oklahoma State Mike Holder (mailto:mike.holder@okstate.edu)

Texas DeLoss Dodds, 471-5757

Texas A & M Bill Bryne (http://www.aggieathletics.com/email.php?e=JiM5ODsmIzk4OyYjMTIxO3ImIzExMDsmIzEwMTsmIzY0OyYjOTc7JiMxMTY7JiMxMDQ7bCYjMTAxOyYjMTE2OyYjMTA1OyYjOTk7JiMxMTU7JiM0Njt0JiM5NzsmIzEwOTsmIzExNzsmIzQ2OyYjMTAxOyYjMTAwO3U)

Texas Tech Craig Wells (mailto:craig.wells@ttu.edu)


Vist the blog http://big12menssoccer.blogspot.com

[rwinbladus]

petition nears 500 signatures

[rwinbladus]

Petition approaching 550
I view this as a long term project. Most schools are reluctant to add men's soccer for three reasons:

Title IX: This law requires parity between men's and women's athletic programs.

Funding: One athletic director indicated that the costs of a program, without even discussing scholarships, is about $1,000,000.

Interest: The Big XII is a football and basketball conference.


Lets take a look at these in reverse order:

Interest: Nobody can deny the increased popularity of soccer. The Dept of State's figures estimates that 18 million Americans participate in the sport. 78% of these are under 18. There is a sports channel dedicated to soccer, there are two professional soccer leagues. Soccer is coming on like a wave. Today I'm guessing that about 10% of the youth are first generation players. The numbers of youth participation will increase as former players become tomorrow's parents. Yes, soccer is coming on like a tsunami. FC Dallas reported an 34% increase at the gate. (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/soccer/stories/102906dnspofcdbriefs.37538ac.html)
Funding: One athletic director made the point that his program's women's soccer costs about $1,000,000 but has ticket sales of only $100,000. On the face it appears that there is a $900,000 gap in funding. Obviously this would be a major concern. Part of the problem can be overcome by attendance. Men's sports typically tend to draw more spectators than women's. One need look no further than basketball attendance. Men's programs often sell out while women's programs suffer low attendance even when tickets are substantially cheaper or free.
Does the same hold true for soccer? Michigan State is a good example. The MSU men's soccer had 328% more fans in attendance than the women's program. This closes a significant portion of the gap. Camps, merchandising, concessions, fund-raising and corporate sponsorship can close another portion of the gap. Some personnel consolidation (eg sharing some assistant coaches) could also provide savings opportunities. Finally, one would presume little facility cost since those already exist. This would provide a good project to for a business school to explore.

Title IX: This is seen as the biggest obstacle by most schools. Most schools take the position that they are complaint but the addition of another men's program would put them out of compliance. This is not exactly the case. Schools can be show compliance by meeting any one of three criteria:

1. By demonstrating that intercollegiate level participation opportunities for male and female students are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments; or
2. Where members of one sex have been underrepresented among intercollegiate athletes, by demonstrating a history and continuing practice of program expansion which is demonstrably responsive to the developing interests and abilities of the members of that sex; or
3. Where members of one sex are underrepresented among intercollegiate athletes, by demonstrating that the interests and abilities of the members of that sex have been fully and effectively accommodated by the present program.

Most schools with football programs rely upon the 2nd & 3rd prongs. The second prong involves a history of adding sports. The trouble is that most schools are running out of sports or there is little interest therein. This is a fuzzy standard.

Due to the existence of football programs the first prong is difficult to meet. Schools tend to focus on the 2nd and 3rd prong. Continuing to expand female sports programs can only go so far. Perhaps this can be met by increased rosters, funding, facilities, etc. Another method is to demonstrate that the interests of the underrepresented sex has been fully accommodated. Schools may be able to meet this prong if they have some form of study of the student population. Surveys, monitoring intramural and club sports are methods of to justify either the status quo or the addition of a new women's sport. If the needs have fully been met then there should be no impediment to the addition of men's soccer. Obviously the simultaneous addition or expansion of a women's sport would help fend off criticism and lawsuits if men's soccer were added.