DawgNBama
the Rush Limbaugh of CSNBBS
Posts: 8,389
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I Root For: conservativism/MAGA
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RE: Why doesn't the SEC add men's soccer as a varsity sport??
(10-06-2022 12:30 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote: (10-06-2022 02:20 AM)DawgNBama Wrote: I recall reading an online article dealing with conference realignment and Virginia and thought it rather odd that one of the cons of Virginia joining the SEC was no varsity men's soccer and no men's or women's lacrosse.
I am not sure how popular lacrosse is in the Deep South (apparently it's popular enough for every SEC team to have a club lacrosse team) , but I know for a fact that soccer, both men's and women's, is a sport with growing popularity in the Deep South, and I really wonder why only Kentucky and South Carolina have men's varsity soccer.
Due to defections, C-USA no longer sponsors men’s soccer. It was a decent conference for soccer with some good rivalry games. S. Carolina and Kentucky are now SunBelt affiliates for soccer. So is West Virginia. Central Florida joins for soccer in 2023.
It is not clear what other SEC schools are planning to upgrade or implement soccer. It is my understanding that Alabama has moved to upgrade their program from club level. One may think that places such as Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Missouri, and Florida would consider it. If 5 or 6 schools did so, the SEC conference could have a formidable league in a short period of time. Some conferences, women’s soccer is better established.
I doubt lacrosse will get embraced in the SEC for a long time, if it ever happens. ACC schools, such as Virginia and Duke, value their lacrosse. It won’t control expansion decisions, but compatibility in sponsorships is a considered factor.
Meant to comment on this awhile back. Yes, one would think that UGA would have men's & women's soccer by now!!! The pitch (aka soccer field) doesn't have to look fantastic, but definitely somewhat professional and incorporates some of the university's landmarks around the field.
Two examples: at my alma mater, the University of Montevallo, our soccer pitch has some of the residence dorms in the background. I like that!! Pensacola Christian College has a big giant building (probably a dorm, but not sure) that is a part of the landscape of the pitch. I really love that!!!
I would be fine with a UGA soccer pitch that had the baseball stadium and Dooley-Sanford Stadium as well as some dorms in the background. It's who we are!!!
I would stream UGA soccer games like I do for my Montevallo Falcons and the PCC Eagles as well. I already stream highlights of UGA football games because my seven years old son isn't into football yet. However, he is starting to warm up to basketball, so there is hope.
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2022 02:58 AM by DawgNBama.)
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10-08-2022 02:46 AM |
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