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Honest questions from a Bearcat fan who knows little about soccer. Will the presence of major league soccer here be attractive to UC Soccer recruits? Corporate sponsors? Will Lindner continue to collaborate with UC in some way once his team moves to their own stadium? Exhibitions or joint training events, etc.?

On its face, it would seem to offer UC some competitive advantage in recruiting players to a major league market with passionate fans for the pro game.

The Crew has a development academy and some of their players have played for the Bearcats. Maybe FCC's development academy can be a feeder for UC.

The answer has to be yes.... the question is, how much>?

How much have the Reds and Bengals franchises helped UC football and baseball recruiting?

Has the Crew benefitted O$U's soccer? Not that I follow it all that close, but it doesn't look like it to me.

Indiana is and always has been a soccer power. O$U has not.

(05-30-2018 05:15 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  Has the Crew benefitted O$U's soccer? Not that I follow it all that close, but it doesn't look like it to me.

Indiana is and always has been a soccer power. O$U has not.

OSU made it to the NCAA finals a few years ago.

The potential impact of MLS teams on local colleges is just beginning to be felt. In the last few years, most of the teams have established 'academies', similar to what is done in Europe. The best of the academy players (only a few so far) have made it directly to the MLS teams. One of Portland's key backup defenders, for example, started his first match his senior year in high school. He obviously didn't have an impact on the local colleges, but other academy players have. The University of Portland - which was a historic power in women's soccer - now has a a few of the Timbers Academy players on the team, and UP has been quite good the past few years. These academy players can go anywhere, however, but a handful tend to stick close by for college so they can continue to practice and train with the academies. The University of Denver has had a few really good Rapids Academy players play for them, then go on to the Rapids. Their program has really improved as a result.

(05-30-2018 04:03 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  How much have the Reds and Bengals franchises helped UC football and baseball recruiting?

Haven't we put several players in the majors for a program that does not play top flight competition? That's admirable.

The Buckeyes have benefited from the Bengals...look how many Bucs the Bengals signed this year alone. Probably not a solid correlation, but a lot of local P5 kids have tried to stay close to home.

(05-30-2018 03:02 PM)bearcatdp Wrote:  The Crew has a development academy and some of their players have played for the Bearcats. Maybe FCC's development academy can be a feeder for UC.

I imagine if FCC thrives in MLS that it could become a recruiting draw.

If the Reds and Bengals didn't smell so bad, they would likely help UC recruiting as well.

Fickell has held recruiting dinners at Great American. Didn't Louisville and UC play a series a few years back at GABP too? Not game changers, but every little bit helps I suppose.

(05-30-2018 05:43 PM)Not Duane Wrote:  

(05-30-2018 03:02 PM)bearcatdp Wrote:  The Crew has a development academy and some of their players have played for the Bearcats. Maybe FCC's development academy can be a feeder for UC.

I imagine if FCC thrives in MLS that it could become a recruiting draw.

If the Reds and Bengals didn't smell so bad, they would likely help UC recruiting as well.

The goal of the development academies is so completely in competition to the college recruiting angle that I'd be shocked if it became a draw.

^This. One of the issues holding American soccer back is the college system. In Europe, the idea that players age 18-22 should be students first, athletes second, is completely foreign. They have kids coming in age 14-16 who spend the majority of their time playing soccer and then pick up an education on the side. It's actually a model that I think would benefit younger basketball players in the states, but I digress.

Either way, by the time most soccer players turn 18, worldwide, they have some affiliation with professional squads. There are some US players that have bucked this trend, like Jordan Morris and Deandre Yedlin, who spent time in the academies and then went on to play college ball, but it's mostly just a detriment to the game.

(05-31-2018 11:58 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  ...
Either way, by the time most soccer players turn 18, worldwide, they have some affiliation with professional squads. There are some US players that have bucked this trend, like Jordan Morris and Deandre Yedlin, who spent time in the academies and then went on to play college ball, but it's mostly just a detriment to the game.

FCC will have no impact on UC soccer. College soccer generally doesn't lead to pro soccer. There are exceptions but its rare.

Yedlin is a great example. He was the best player coming out of HS in a decade. He was Akron's top target and they were able to strentch and offer him a 40% scholarship. Akron was a top D1 program with a great coach and reputation plus a fully funded team. Even a pro ready HS player can't get a full college scholarship - that's why they generally go pro.

(05-31-2018 12:41 PM)Bearcat1010 Wrote:  

(05-31-2018 11:58 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  ...
Either way, by the time most soccer players turn 18, worldwide, they have some affiliation with professional squads. There are some US players that have bucked this trend, like Jordan Morris and Deandre Yedlin, who spent time in the academies and then went on to play college ball, but it's mostly just a detriment to the game.

FCC will have no impact on UC soccer. College soccer generally doesn't lead to pro soccer. There are exceptions but its rare.

Yedlin is a great example. He was the best player coming out of HS in a decade. He was Akron's top target and they were able to strentch and offer him a 40% scholarship. Akron was a top D1 program with a great coach and reputation plus a fully funded team. Even a pro ready HS player can't get a full college scholarship - that's why they generally go pro.

Since 2010, Akron has had more than 20 players drafted by MLS, including the #1 pick last year. Ten former Akron players are on current MLS rosters.