I realize it's an old thread, but the topic has come up recently... Colleges could be eligible, but colleges aren't registered clubs under FIFA or USSF (except for BYU's PDL program... AFAIK). Colleges don't have to release players for FIFA events, for example. They are fully outside the system.
If it meant they would get compensated for "developing" players, I would not be shocked if colleges tried to get their teams registered with FIFA/USSF.
Release dates of players, playing games by FIFA rules, honoring amateur contracts of other clubs... Considering most players don't receive full scholarships and very few ever sign a lucrative pro contract, it wouldn't be worth it.
Remember this includes youth players... but you will find a number of small countries who call up US college players to their full NTs including T&T, Belize, Jamaica, Haiti. AND women college players are called up for both levels all the time. And the call-ups have been an issue with a women's NT has a friendly during college season. FIFA told MLS it couldn't do the PK shootouts for games (they did it under a waiver). I doubt FIFA would accept all the NCAA rules variations. But, ultimately, do you think the NCAA would accept any regulation from FIFA?
Haha true, if they're not comfortable in Indiana imagine how they'd squirm if they were in bed with FIFA
A PK shootout is still an acceptable way to break drawn matches as part of competition/tournament regulations (last I checked, no formal distinction is made between 'regular season' and 'playoff' or elimination games). What there was objection to was the NASL-style running-start shootout with the countdown clock. Even then, there was no rule against it when MLS got started--in fact, there were almost no rules about resolving drawn matches, they could have flipped coins if they wanted to (somewhat weirdly, the only existing rule was that if you played an OT it had to be split into two halves). Since then, IFAB has come in and said that if you do a shootout, it has to be PKs, and if you do an OT, it has to be played out for the full 30 minutes (no 10 minute golden goal OT as MLS went to when they first ditched the shootout). What probably happened was they didn't like it, but refrained from specifically blocking it to give MLS a little leeway. Once MLS went to the 90 minute standard, there was no longer any reason to allow it. No and no, so I can't see the NCAA being formally affiliated with FIFA any time soon.