National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Mar 4, 2010 9:26:36 AM

The Division I Men's and Women's Soccer Committees are exploring the benefits of combining their successful College Cups into a single event.

Meeting recently in Indianapolis, members from each panel began considering a model for 2011 that would stage the men's and women's semifinals and finals at a single site over four days. A similar model is employed already in Divisions II and III.

The Division I committees are mulling proposals from various sites and will be making recommendations in the coming weeks.

While it isn't the first time Division I has studied a combined-site approach for its soccer championships, the current discussion has some momentum. The Division I Championships/Sport Management Cabinet likes the economy-of-scale efficiencies that a single site affords, and the broadcasters and promoters appreciate the marketing power of a mega-soccer event rather than two separate championships. Some also believe a soccer festival-type event would appeal to a broader fan base.

The concerns are similar to those that Divisions II and III experienced when committees at those levels implemented the combined approach – primarily the wear and tear on the fields and the ability of facilities to accommodate a larger-scale event. The field issue hasn't manifested itself so far in Divisions II and III, though it has caused those committees to experiment with how they stagger the semifinals and finals.

"But no matter how you slice it, you're looking at six matches over a four-day period," said Baylor associate AD Paul Bradshaw, who chairs the Division I women's committee.

Advances in turf technology and the existence of several facilities with experience in hosting multiple-match soccer events have mitigated those concerns to some degree, but coaches still worry about adverse weather conditions affecting the outcomes of their sport's pinnacle matches.

At the same time, the festival atmosphere intrigues the Division I committees.

"This may be an opportunity to grow the game – to get past the individual concerns and support this event as the culmination of the Division I soccer season," said John Diffley, the senior associate AD at St. John's (New York) who chairs the men's committee.

"It does give collegiate soccer fans the opportunity to see several great teams in one setting," Bradshaw added. "It's an opportunity to make the College Cup a true soccer event."

The model under consideration has the 2011 combined event being played the second weekend in December, which is the norm for the men's finals but a week later for the women. The effect on scheduling and on conference postseason championships also must be considered.

"Overall, though, we're interested in a site that can host a number of fans and offer student-athletes a great facility and playing surface in a festival-type atmosphere that makes for one great weekend," Diffley said.

If the committees do recommend a combined site in 2011, it may be on a trial basis before making any longer-term commitments.

"Right now, we're really just focusing on 2011, just trying to see if this is a good format for everybody," Bradshaw said. "We are in the process now of reviewing the bid proposals."