Sun Belt Adding Men's Soccer, League Will Include Two SEC Schools

[CajunT]

I don’t have all the answers on how it would work but I think it could.

Womens beach volleyball is another sport I’d give a go at. LSU is ranked #5 in it and they’ve been consistently ranked ever since they made the sport.

It could work here tbh that’s the sport I’d go with for title 9 purposes to offset the mens soccer scholarships.

I love your enthusiasm and the idea, but saying it could work without an actual plan to get it done doesn't make it plausible. I'm not a person that loves to say we can't do that here at UL, but it all comes down to money.

One way to fund it would be a student athletic fee, but I don't believe the students body would vote for it in light of the NIL, stipend and current student debt. He'll, if I was a student today working my way through college, I wouldn't support it. In today's current events, specific college athletes have become a privilege class.

[RaginCajun309]

We can barely get 25k butts in the seats for a top 25 ranked football team. Soccer attendance would be low low low.

[cjr3888]

If you add soccer, which sport do you add for women's sports that is required by Title 9? And how do you fund it and the extra scholars and cost of attendance?

Side note on adding a women's sport. I've always said the first sport we need to add is beach volleyball. It's an extension of the volleyball program we already have and will help improve the overall volleyball program. The few volleyball people I know use the beach season to prepare for indoor season.

On the men's soccer note, there's no way they will draw 10K a game. I've never played the game in my life but I go to the women's games when I can. We would need a sugar daddy to fund the sport and a women's sport at the same time for it to become a reality.

[CajunT]

Side note on adding a women's sport. I've always said the first sport we need to add is beach volleyball. It's an extension of the volleyball program we already have and will help improve the overall volleyball program. The few volleyball people I know use the beach season to prepare for indoor season.

On the men's soccer note, there's no way they will draw 10K a game. I've never played the game in my life but I go to the women's games when I can. We would need a sugar daddy to fund the sport and a women's sport at the same time for it to become a reality.

LOL! It's funny how Beach Volleyball keeps coming up, but not surprisingly!

[LouisianaB]

Get rid of track.

How many track meets have You gone to?

[LouisianaB]

LOL! It's funny how Beach Volleyball keeps coming up, but not surprisingly!

FYI, College doesn’t wear the traditional beach volleyball attire. Sorry boys

[cjr3888]

LOL! It's funny how Beach Volleyball keeps coming up, but not surprisingly!

I've been a fan ever since I was in Orange Beach and watched the national title in person. Those USC girls can drink with the best of us!

[jerrybaldwin69]

If it doesnt cost much whatever. Would hate to hurt a football, baseball, or basketball budget to add a mens soccer team. Seeing alot of talk about how lafayette is good at soccer so why not add them. The thing is if we wanted to be good in the sunbelt we would have to look across the pond not at the Youngsville sports complex.

[jerrybaldwin69]

Ahh. But softball is so much better

I think that softball teams across the country could probably beat up mens soccer teams lol.

[Esqueleto]

Get rid of track.

How many track meets have You gone to?

I like this, but I don't think it's possible. Maybe you could cut cross country.
Really all you'd have to do to comply with title 9 is to add beach volleyball and women's golf.

[Duckster]

Maybe we're approaching this all wrong. We should be demanding women's beach volleyball be added but only on the condition we balance it out with men's soccer. Ha.

Someone mentioned the travel costs, its true. All the conference teams are near the Atlantic seaboard. Its more a Sunbelt east soccer conference. Besides money, we'd need three other SBC west schools to crank up men's soccer. And someone else mentioned college men's soccer is a Fall sport like football. Considering due to TV games we're only averaging 3 Saturday night football games per season, there's schedule space for Saturday night home men's soccer games. Suppose if football is stuck with a 11 a.m. kick for home TV game, could certainly schedule soccer for 6 p.m. or something like that. Football stadium renovations come first. A rebounding oil and gas economy wouldn't hurt either.

[Turbine]

We can barely get 25k butts in the seats for a top 25 ranked football team. Soccer attendance would be low low low.

At first for sure, perhaps for the first decade.

It would bring in a whole new crowd, existing fans from legacy sports would be in the minority.

[Turbine]

... Besides money, we'd need three other SBC west schools to crank up men's soccer...

Not Necessarily.

Perhaps one more SBC school and a couple Big-12 schools to get started.

[KajunKrazy]

Ahh. But softball is so much better

Softball is a girl sport. Great comparison though.

[CajunVic]

We can barely get 25k butts in the seats for a top 25 ranked football team. Soccer attendance would be low low low.

This is reality . . . Let’s get beach volleyball . . .