The 2026 NCAA Division I men’s season kicks off on today.
It was anticipated it would be D1 men’s soccer’s last season as a fall sport, but the Division 1 Cabinet threw cold water on legislation by the NCAA’s men’s soccer oversight committee to split the season across the fall and the spring, beginning in the fall of 2027.
In June, the Division 1 Cabinet remanded the proposal, noting the change was “opposed by 20 Division 1 conferences that raised concerns about the duration of the season and the lack of clarity about related rules,” as well as other issues. The soccer committee has been asked to “revisit” the proposal and provide additional information.
The setback isn’t the first for men’s college soccer.
A men’s soccer proposal dubbed the 21st Century Model had momentum going into 2020, but Covid cut that short. The NCAA Division I Council tabled a 21st Century Model proposal and other legislation in 2022. U.S. Soccer’s NextGen Committee recommended major changes for the men’s game in its white paper on college soccer.
The latest rebuff is not a surprise. With all the upheaval in college sports, it would take a special case to “expand” a college sports season. Soccer shares facilities with sports operating in the spring at many schools, and an expanded season would put strain on the staffs (training, medical, sports information) at many schools even without additional games on the schedule.
• Maryland lawsuit: Men’s soccer has struggled as the number of American players turn pro out of high school increase. The big change from a decade ago is the number of players who sign MLS NEXT Pro contracts (some with the guarantee of an MLS Homegrown contract down the road).
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