It’s been quite the offseason for college soccer, which certainly seems to be hitting a crossroads in its next evolutionary phase.
Since signing day in February, eight of the top nine college-committed players expected to show up on campus in the fall spurned their pledges and jumped at pro contracts. And not just in MLS either. Top-ranked national team players like McKinze Gaines (Wolfsburg), Matthew Olosunde (Manchester United) and Emmanuel Sabbi (Las Palmas) set aside commits to top programs UCLA, Duke and Akron to try their hand at pro soccer.
That should throw some interesting light on the 2016 men’s season, which kicks off Friday in the midst of a coach-lead inquiry to possibly expand the season into the spring to better mirror the pro game.