SMF idea to promote NCAA women's soccer

[Sean Miller Fan]

After watching some of the NCAA volleyball tournament and the big crowds they get, it made me think, is the NCAA thinking too small for women's soccer? This is the best women's soccer country on the planet. There is a giant subculture of women's soccer players and families. Why do they play their season opposite college football and the NFL? Well, I know the answer: because they always have.

So here's my idea of the day:

Move the women's soccer season to the spring when most games are played after college basketball ends and work with some network like ESPN or FS1 to market the heck out of the sport. Like a College GameDay type show, Wrap-up shows, SportsCenter highlights, etc. To an extent, they do this with women's college basketball but nobody cares because its opposite men's basketball. In the spring, its just MLB and NBA Playoffs and no mainstream college sports.

NCAA Women's soccer is what, the 4th or so best women's soccer league in the world? Maybe if they move the men's game to August-May they can move the women's game to like March-July with the College Cup being played right after the College World Series. Maybe even a World Cup style 32 team Group stage or something like that.

 

[HOF Coach]

Somebody hacked Sean Miller Fan's Panther-lair account.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

After watching some of the NCAA volleyball tournament and the big crowds they get, it made me think, is the NCAA thinking too small for women's soccer? This is the best women's soccer country on the planet. There is a giant subculture of women's soccer players and families. Why do they play their season opposite college football and the NFL? Well, I know the answer: because they always have.

So here's my idea of the day:

Move the women's soccer season to the spring when most games are played after college basketball ends and work with some network like ESPN or FS1 to market the heck out of the sport. Like a College GameDay type show, Wrap-up shows, SportsCenter highlights, etc. To an extent, they do this with women's college basketball but nobody cares because its opposite men's basketball. In the spring, its just MLB and NBA Playoffs and no mainstream college sports.

NCAA Women's soccer is what, the 4th or so best women's soccer league in the world? Maybe if they move the men's game to August-May they can move the women's game to like March-July with the College Cup being played right after the College World Series. Maybe even a World Cup style 32 team Group stage or something like that.

It is very impressive that the ncaa volleyball can pack 10K into an arena.

In spite of soccer being the #1 sport for females in this country, you’ll never see 10K for a collegiate game consistently, regardless of when you play the games.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

It is very impressive that the ncaa volleyball can pack 10K into an arena.

In spite of soccer being the #1 sport for females in this country, you’ll never see 10K for a collegiate game consistently, regardless of when you play the games.

I think the final women’s soccer game had 7,000. That’s a good number. But during the regular season you are lucky to get a few hundred. Some schools can pull it off and get over 1,000. I think when I went to VT women’s games they had about 1,000 -1,500. I now go to Tennessee women’s games and they are less than 1,000 but maybe the same for a big SEC game. VT plays on campus, Tennessee plays a little bit off the edge of campus and not as convenient to get to.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I think the final women’s soccer game had 7,000. That’s a good number. But during the regular season you are lucky to get a few hundred. Some schools can pull it off and get over 1,000. I think when I went to VT women’s games they had about 1,000 -1,500. I now go to Tennessee women’s games and they are less than 1,000 but maybe the same for a big SEC game. VT plays on campus, Tennessee plays a little bit off the edge of campus and not as convenient to get to.

The problem is they play on Sundays during the NFL season and many of the top program fans' (ACC/SEC) have their minds 100% on college football. Put Bama/FSU in April at their football stadiums and I think they draw 30K if marketed properly. I think the NCAA is thinking too small with women's soccer. There's no reason why it cant be at least like men's hockey or women's volleyball in that some revenues make a profit and play in front of big crowds.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

The problem is they play on Sundays during the NFL season and many of the top program fans' (ACC/SEC) have their minds 100% on college football. Put Bama/FSU in April at their football stadiums and I think they draw 30K if marketed properly. I think the NCAA is thinking too small with women's soccer. There's no reason why it cant be at least like men's hockey or women's volleyball in that some revenues make a profit and play in front of big crowds.

Take it from someone who has had 2 daughters play D1 soccer. It’s mostly bad soccer and not for the neutral observer, especially observers who don’t know much about the sport.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Take it from someone who has had 2 daughters play D1 soccer. It’s mostly bad soccer and not for the neutral observer, especially observers who don’t know much about the sport.

They played in the MAC. Put ACC and SEC soccer on in April and promote it like they promote women's basketball and will outdo women's basketball.

P5 or whatever you want to call it, women's soccer has to be the 4th or 5th best league in the world, right?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Somebody hacked Sean Miller Fan's Panther-lair account.

And posted something just like he normally would.

Seems like an odd thing to do.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

They played in the MAC. Put ACC and SEC soccer on in April and promote it like they promote women's basketball and will outdo women's basketball.

P5 or whatever you want to call it, women's soccer has to be the 4th or 5th best league in the world, right?

One did. And it’s not like she didn’t play P5 teams who mostly all played bad soccer.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

One did. And it’s not like she didn’t play P5 teams who mostly all played bad soccer.

Seriously though, if the P5 was its own league, where would it rank in the world?

1. NWSL?
2. England
3. Germany
4. Spain
5. P5?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Seriously though, if the P5 was its own league, where would it rank in the world?

1. NWSL?
2. England
3. Germany
4. Spain
5. P5?

Probably. But I’m not even sure NWSL is that good anymore. I feel as though it was passed up. But I have no real metrics to base that on.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

Seriously though, if the P5 was its own league, where would it rank in the world?

1. NWSL?
2. England
3. Germany
4. Spain
5. P5?

You can’t restrict this to just P5. For every great P5 team is a shitty one. One for every shitty one is a solid P6 or whatever you want to call it. Santa Clara, Memphis, Georgetown, Xavier, Harvard and many others nonP5 that compete at the highest level.
You just throw a top 30 - 40 out there and you have a very solid competing group.

I don’t really think in the next 5-10 years if women’s pro league in US will be anything special. There is a reason women play college soccer.

 

[JD1976]

France has one of the 2 or 3 best women’s leagues in the world. I’d say NWSL the English league and France are all fairly comparable, though NWSL has much more depth and parity.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

You can’t restrict this to just P5. For every great P5 team is a shitty one. One for every shitty one is a solid P6 or whatever you want to call it. Santa Clara, Memphis, Georgetown, Xavier, Harvard and many others nonP5 that compete at the highest level.
You just throw a top 30 - 40 out there and you have a very solid competing group.

I don’t really think in the next 5-10 years if women’s pro league in US will be anything special. There is a reason women play college soccer.

OK, but lets say FS1 buys the rights to P6 leagues from ESPN (for pennies) and plans big marketing around it for a March-July season. It would be televising the 5th or so best women's soccer league in the world, and one with major brand name appeal (Bama, FSU, UNC, etc). Would it do any worse than women's college basketball which runs concurrent with men's college basketball and a large portion of the NFL and college football seasons?