Tonny Temple is leaving NC State and doesn't seem to have a college for this upcoming year. Maybe he is signing with the Union or Union II?
It appears that Jahon Rad is taking the USL gap year that was being talked about, he is not listed with NC State's newcomers and is not listed on their roster, he has not been seen in any practices. Classes started Monday aswell.
It would seem that every decent prospect would take a gap year this year. A lot of leagues are cancelled. Some might still get cancelled. Even if they play it will only be a hanful of games versus the full schedule. If you were on the fence about leaving I would think that you would leave.
The real problem is for the players that are already in the college system. They can't take a gap year (or semester), play pro soccer, and then return. Can they even practice as things are currently constructed?
The ACC with the exception of Boston College is practicing. The non-ACC colleges in my state don't seem to be practicing yet.
The NCAA has some loose guidelines to define "pro" soccer when it comes to playing abroad but you are right, once you set foot on campus *or virtually*, there's no going back unless you are just paying full tuition out of your own pocket. In that case, you can always withdraw.
It seems like there are no options for these players. They've gotta try to practice when they can............. But we just saw UNC go to virtual classes quickly after a bunch of their students rapidly contracted the virus. Can the UNC soccer team get together on a virtual campus? How? It seems to defeat the purpose if they can. Boston College is in a completely different place here in a big city like Boston. They have one policy for now, but they can forget it. Pipe dream. There is pressure being heaped on them to change course rapidly. Two colleges with students returning in Boston have already reported positive cases. There's just no way...................
It's very likely none of the DI schools play soccer this fall, but may play in the spring (Assuming our Covid situation changes). If schools start having lockdowns like UNC, I doubt teams will even be allowed to practice in the fall. If there was ever a time to take GAP year, its this year. The question is can you go back. I heard FCD keeper Collodi decided to sit our a year from Columbia University ( he started at keeper there as a freshman) and train with NTXSC instead. Will he be able to go back to Columbia next year and play? Not sure how it effects his college eligibility. Hopefully the NCAA is flexible this year.
UNC still has kids on campus, they aren't forcing kids to move out. It's free to move out of your residence hall if you wish but barring more outbreaks (which I think are inevitable) they're still on campus. UNC is going to keep practicing until kids are forced to go home, someone gets it or the ACC or NCAA intervene.
They're not forcing them to move home but they've asked kids to cancel their leases by the 25th, so it's kinda the same thing. Not sure what it means for sports, though.
When I had made the comment they hadn't yet asked kids to cancel leases just yet, just made it free to do so. I personally know one of the players, it looks like they're staying, at least until the ACC formally cancels.
I think what we'll see is the two big revenue generating sports (College Football and College Basketball) will play in 2020, and the rest will either cancel their seasons entirely or play in 2021.
The ACC at least is still planning to play, but the season schedule will be severely truncated. Lots of leagues are not playing. Out-of-conference play if any will be limited if at all. No NCAA Championship. They are still practicing though even at UNC, which did pause for a couple days, but was back yesterday. They won't cancel unless the cancel football because it is a bad look to cancel everything, but the sports that make money. One league actually came out and said that too. We would cancel soccer, but we can't cancel soccer and play football and we have to play football. This is the official directive: Olympic sports Olympic sports competitions can start on Sept. 10, and each team sport will play a conference schedule that includes the NCAA minimum amount of games: six games for men's soccer. Any additional conference or non-conference games for team sports will also be scheduled at the schools' discretion as long as their opponent meets ACC medical requirements. However, any additional games with conference opponents beyond the mandated number will not count in ACC standings. So some schools might only play 6 games when they typically play around 18.
ACC is one of the few leagues playing soccer. Clemson schedule is 8 games (6 ACC) plus ACC Tournament. Max of 11 games unless they add some mid-week games in the near future. Not pointless, but basically a lost year.
Just adding that Sam Sarver committed to Indiana who has very strong coaching ties to the Crew. Several other academy players committed to various D1 teams.
I would hate to see Sarver get to college soccer. I can't remember a better field player in recent memory getting to college soccer. It would hurt his development IMO. The Crew should step in and offer a HG contract.
I don’t have any inside knowledge but it seems to me they like having players spend a year in college and then sign then after their fall season. Personally, I think it’s a mistake but it’s hard to know the motivations. Maybe the Sarver family wants him in college.
It depends on how they see Sarver in 2021, though. Is he ready to play in MLS? Will there be a Crew team in a possible MLS U23 division three league? If the answer to both of those questions is "no", he's better off playing in MLS Next and then getting a full NCAA schedule, and revisiting the issue for 2022.
Different positions but that route worked well for Aidan Morris. His production in college wasn't stellar but if you watch his games; he was an instrumental part of the Hoosiers. He also had an arrangement with the Crew prior to leaving to Indiana. Such may be the case with Sam.
That’s true, but I also think Sarver is a lot better right now than Morris was at that time. I think he should be in a professional environment as soon as possible. He might be looking at Europe though for next year.
Has anyone been following this season and would know who are some of the best players in college soccer this season?
There was hardly a fall season. Most games will be in the spring. ACC played 8-11 games. Mostly against each other. Clemson won the ACCT over Pitt on Sunday. Best American player was Grayson Barber (SKC from SC) who had 2 goals and 7 assists in 11 games. Best player was Kilmarni Smith (UK) who had 8 goals and 3 assists in 11 games.
A graphic showed up on the championship broadcast that I haven't seen posted anywhere but it said the following ACC Men's Soccer Awards (As chosen by ACC Network/ESPNU Talent) OFFENSIVE: Kimarni Smith (CLEM) MIDFIELD: Veljko Petkovic (PITT) DEFENSIVE: Nico Benalcazar (WAKE) GOALKEEPER: Alec Smir (UNC) FRESHMAN: Bertin Jacquesson (PITT) COACH: Jay Vidovich (PITT)
Between Covid and not having the ACC Network, I didn't even bother following college soccer this year. This season is a write-off. I mean, the spring season will be played but many of the top players for the spring season will get plucked in the draft. It's taken a wacky system and made it even wackier.