UCF joins the Sunbelt for Soccer

[ManAboutTown]

I've said what I said about the program so I will only speak to the type of talent we would get.

If you could get a coach in here that can properly recruit Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and International Students. You would have a serious program on your hands. UL already has a ton of international students that come over for several of our academic programs. If you can now give athletic scholarships for soccer who is to say you can't get some incredible talent from the international player pool.

Not to mention Texas and Florida produce fantastic talent and are right next to us as well travel wise. We'd run the South if we could do it. '

If you are curious as to why LSU-Eunice is top 10 every year for JUCO soccer it is because their coach knows how to recruit Texas and International Players. He would be the ideal candidate to become the first programs head coach. Josh McReynolds. https://athletics.lsue.edu/staff-dir...-mcreynolds/54 . Check out his coaching Bio. Pretty solid.

Someone donate $4 mil and everything we are discussing can come true we're golden. Anyone got that?

Working on it

[Duggie35]

Someone donate $4 mil and everything we are discussing can come true we're golden. Anyone got that?

We would also need to find enough more money to support the additional woman's sport that would need to be added and funded.

[CajunT]

We would also need to find enough more money to support the additional woman's sport that would need to be added and funded.

Nothing but a pipe dream Duggie, but it gives us something to talk about during the summer doldrums.

[Cajunrunner]

Nothing but a pipe dream Duggie, but it gives us something to talk about during the summer doldrums.

Be careful. You don’t want to be viewed as a CAN’T Ragin Cajun.

[CajunT]

Be careful. You don’t want to be viewed as a CAN’T Ragin Cajun.

None of the "Can't Ragin Cajuns" have suggested a reasonable path and funding mechanism to add scholarships and additional cost to our athletic program. They are entitled to their opinions and wish list; speculation is great for Wall Street, but it's hardly a business model.

[CajunRebel]

Some people's eyes are bigger than their stomachs.

[ManAboutTown]

It isn’t Joe Fans job to create a system where these kind of opportunities can flourish. That’s what we pay the Admin and Athletic staff for.

That’s like saying anyone that hasn’t coached football at the D1 level can have a reasonable open about football at the D1 level.

It is our job as supporters to say what we would support and open our wallets when the opportunity presents itself. It’s only a pipe dream to those that don’t want the program to start. Hardly an impossibility.

[Turbine]

Eventually Soccer television rights will dwarf what P5 football gets today.

Time to establish a foothold.

[SlickRick]

In the case of adding a sport, a unique fanbase is essential.

Spreading old money on a bigger slice of bread won't work and (quite frankly) is the only reason some of the shortsighted are saying UL can't afford it.

Soccer is the one sport that can bring in its own fanbase, it's own money.

This is the one sport that can attract international students.

This is the one sport that can bring in money from existing international alumni. Of which there are many thousands, and they only love one sport. Futbol

Good point.

[SlickRick]

Eventually Soccer television rights will dwarf what P5 football gets today.

Time to establish a foothold.

Not such a good point...unless NIL ruins P5 football after it ruins G5 football.

[Million$Mullet]

Eventually Soccer television rights will dwarf what P5 football gets today.

Time to establish a foothold.

Lol

[Big Buds]

Eventually Soccer television rights will dwarf what P5 football gets today.

Time to establish a foothold.

I’m 100% on board with adding Men’s Soccer…but stop dat, baw!

[BBcajun]

Does the rest of the world care about college soccer in enough capacity to make it any kind of revenue sport here. I don't think so. Quick, name a famous international soccer player that played in college.

Patrick Mullins from New Orleans, Louisiana. 2-time Hermann Award winner (the Heisman of soccer). Played at Maryland and then enjoyed a nice professional career. One of Boomer's boys....a Jesuit graduate

[Turbine]

P5 money is generated from a country of 350 million where 39% of the population considers football its favorite sport.

Soccer flips the script in a world of 8.5 billion people that consider soccer their favorite sport.

If done right it's only a matter of time before International soccer TV market revenue dwarfs what the P5 is generating today from the US market.

[CajunT]

It isn’t Joe Fans job to create a system where these kind of opportunities can flourish. That’s what we pay the Admin and Athletic staff for.



That’s like saying anyone that hasn’t coached football at the D1 level can have a reasonable open about football at the D1 level.

It is our job as supporters to say what we would support and open our wallets when the opportunity presents itself. It’s only a pipe dream to those that don’t want the program to start. Hardly an impossibility.

Fan boards give everyone the opportunity to express their ideas on athletics and what they would like to see happen.You have the freedom to throw any idea at the wall and other fans can decide if they think it's realistic, or even doable. But, if you want to be taken seriously, then be ready to present more than just an idea. I disagree with the premise, that's it's their job to "Create a System" to facilitate your ideas and make them happen. If that were the case, you would get a vote on how RCAF funds are spent. You don't get a vote, but you can designate your donation to a specific fund.

I'm sure you have heard of the term, SEED MONEY. Nothing gets done without it, and anytime there was a specific project a coach or supporter wanted to see happen, it began with seed money. They, (the athletic administration) did not provide seed money and until someone actually provided it and only then were they willing to sit down and consider the project, and or idea.

I stood on the sideline with the man that started the Supplement Fund at UL. After watching McNeese State kick our butts at Cajun Field, with larger and stronger athletes, he decided to start asking questions. He was told UL the Cajun Football program was one of two in the FBS that did not have supplements for it's athletes, the other was ULM.

He decided he would start the fund and help the athletic department pay for these products. Of course the AD at the time said RCAF was in its infancy and there was no account for it. So, until the fund was created, he and the football coach got the approval to purchase the supplements and they were paid for monthly out of the football office.

I became one of 6 to 8 people that were given a list of supporters to call and help raise money. That money was collected monthly, or quarterly; whichever was best for the donor. But, his initial seed money is what began the account and the rest of us joined his team of fundraisers. The Supplement Fund was eventually added to RCAF after it was shown it could be done.

If you want to be taken seriously and not just be another person making demands, put together a group of like minded supporters and show them you are serious. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but to make them happen you must be prepared to see it through. You are a business man, you needed a business plan to supplement your idea to start it. You didn't just hand an idea to someone and say go start my business.

Now, I didn't say it was impossible to start a soccer program at UL. I did say given our current financial state it's not feasible or logical. If you are selling that ideal, it's not my job to come up with a business model that is realistic and plausible, it's your job.