U.S soccer is undertaking efforts to reform college soccer, yet not everyone believes this to be sufficient enough change. A recent white paper seeks to re-examine the way young talent is developed through the game, but a former player believes that the greatest obstacles to the system are elsewhere. The white paper, released by U.S. Soccer and NextGen College Soccer Committee (NGCS), presents the recommendations to transform Division I men’s and women’s college soccer. The goal isn’t to rewrite the game, it’s to renew it. Still, critics argue that plans alone won’t fix the system.

Alexi Lalas, a former American center back, shared his thoughts on X, saying: “College soccer was a traditional development path that’s become irrelevant. It’s an existing infrastructure that needs to be reclaimed and harnessed. But the NCAA is a behemoth and not driven by soccer. This White Paper from @ussoccer is fine. But now go do it…figure it out.”

His criticism reveals a well-known fact: in the past, college soccer has been one of the main pathways to becoming a professional player, but in the last twenty years, the professional academies gained access to the best talent, leaving college soccer further behind. But being a body that deals with more than just one sport and academic success, the NCAA has a tendency not to focus much of its energy on soccer in a way that would address the current demands of development.

Lalas commented in response to a post by JT Batson, CEO and Secretary General of U.S. Soccer, who shared on X: “The goal isn’t to rewrite college soccer, it’s to renew it. We have a tremendous opportunity to make college soccer the best U-23 league in the world, strengthening development for both our Men’s and Women’s National Teams. It’s one of our country’s unique advantages and a vital part of how we’ll keep developing world-class players.”

Where Batson focuses on the potential and vision, Lalas demonstrates that something needs to be done: the infrastructure and recommendations are there; it is time that the NCAA takes decisive action to make the recommendations happen. But what are the new changes to be?

U.S. Soccer plans big changes

Well, the white paper is interesting.  The NextGen committee of U.S. Soccer is suggesting some radical reforms that would completely revamp the NCAA college soccer. We mean local rebranding and recruit and release, a complete academic year competition schedule, allow professional players, and create new methods of attracting sponsors and media coverage.

JT Batson, CEO of U.S. Soccer,  said,  “The recommendations were designed to be able to deliver a better student athlete experience, to be able to provide financial stability, and to provide player development opportunities — which are the three things that everyone in college sports said they wanted…We’re optimistic for this to be able to move at pace.” Undoubtedly, it is a very big opportunity to have college soccer be the best U-23 league in the world.

The paper presents three central objectives, which include providing colleges with financial incentives, enhancing the welfare of student athletes, and establishing more effective ways for elite players to the professional and national stage. Among the most radical concepts is a division of the 213 Division I men’s teams into four geographic blocks, each of which has upper-tiered Regions and lower-tiered Local divisions. Promotion of lower-tier teams might also be included with a promotion and relegation system that might be used in other pro leagues globally.  And that’s not all. They will also make it one game less per week, more training, and a national tournament in the spring.

But of course, this all won’t happen without the permission of the NCAA. However, the moment has come: leaders such as Batson, Dan Helfrich of the NCSC, are seeing an opportune moment to turn college soccer into an actual talent-development hub, a fan engagement hub, and a high-profile, sustainably viable platform for the next generation of U.S. talent.