School soccer’s restructured panorama took some getting used to in the course of the 2024 season. With large conferences stretching from coast to coast, the momentary stoppage of a century-old league, and a 12-team School Soccer Playoff, final yr was maybe probably the most jarring prior to now half-century of the game.
However the 2024 season additionally delivered loads of acquainted pleasure. From the entertaining Heisman Trophy conflict between Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter to Ohio State’s redemptive run to the nationwide championship, the brand new school soccer retained sufficient of the previous school soccer’s aura.
With an autumn to regulate, the 2025 season kicks off Aug. 23 and guarantees much more thrilling uncertainty than a season in the past. This quartet of potential subplots affords a mere sampling of what this marketing campaign might ship.
Penn State vs. Expectations
Any descriptor of James Franklin’s tenure as Penn State head coach that fails to incorporate some variation of the adjective “nice” falls quick. Franklin took over in 2014, when this system’s future was murky within the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, and led the Nittany Lions to a Huge Ten title in his third season.
The Nittany Lions have constantly received double-digit video games underneath Franklin and are coming off their first School Soccer Playoff look. However Penn State has struggled towards Ohio State, with eight consecutive losses, and has but to succeed in the nationwide semifinals.
The Buckeyes will host the Nittany Lions on Nov. 1.
Heading into 2025 because the preseason media ballot decide to win the Huge Ten — edging out reigning champion Ohio State — this might be the yr Penn State breaks by to a stage it hasn’t reached for the reason that Eighties. The Nittany Lions final received a nationwide championship in 1986, the newest of their 4 in program historical past.
“That’s a part of the rationale why I got here to Penn State, to compete for every little thing like [the Big Ten and national championships],” quarterback Drew Allar informed Nittany Sports activities Now ultimately week’s group media day.
Allar’s return is on the coronary heart of the lofty expectations awaiting the Lions once they open the season Aug. 30 vs. Nevada.
“To go to the place the place we wish to go, it’s going to take everyone,” Allar stated. “I believe we’ve carried out a terrific job embracing that.”
SEC on Drought Watch
Dec 4, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Sensible greets Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban earlier than the SEC championship recreation at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Jason Getz-Imagn Photos Labeling three consecutive seasons with out a nationwide championship a full-on drought could also be dramatic. The Huge 12, as an illustration, final received a nationwide title 20 years in the past — and its solely two within the 2000s got here from packages now within the SEC.
Nonetheless, since LSU cut up the 2003 championship with Southern California, the SEC has by no means gone three straight seasons with out producing a champion. If the 2025 nationwide title goes to a different league, it’s going to mark the longest such stretch since 1999 by 2002, when Florida State, Oklahoma, Miami and Ohio State traded trophies.
The SEC was probably the most profitable convention of the four-team School Soccer Playoff period, with championships within the 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons — greater than half the last decade.
So no, the CFP format didn’t expose the SEC’s monopolization of BCS championships from 2006 to 2012 as a byproduct of a flawed system. The league proved its power on the high. However the hole is probably not as huge as SEC loyalists made it appear.
The game’s present wide-open nature additionally underlines simply how exceptional Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty actually was.
Clemson on the Comeback Path
Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) celebrates after profitable the 2024 ACC Championship recreation at Financial institution of America Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Bob Donnan-Imagn Photos Not so way back, when Alabama was at its peak underneath Saban, its largest challenger was Clemson. The Tigers received nationwide championships in 2016 and 2018 and appeared in six straight Playoffs.
Since then, Clemson has hit a velocity bump. To be clear, most packages would gladly commerce for the Tigers’ “downturn” — 40 wins, a convention title and a Playoff look from 2021 to 2024.
Nonetheless, Clemson hasn’t resembled the juggernaut of the late 2010s. Coach Dabo Swinney’s resistance to embracing NIL and participant compensation raised questions on this system’s endurance within the new period.
The 2025 season presents a main probability to silence these doubts. Clemson is the preseason favourite to repeat as ACC champion, and with Cade Klubnik — the league’s preseason offensive participant of the yr — underneath heart, expectations are excessive.
Throughout Clemson’s peak, it had Heisman candidates Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. Klubnik has flashed related upside however might want to ship throughout a full season if the Tigers hope to contend.
Anchors Aweigh
Few groups completed final season stronger than Navy. The Midshipmen crushed rival Military on the finish of West Level’s greatest season for the reason that mid-Twentieth century, then edged Oklahoma in a thriller on the Armed Forces Bowl.
With standout quarterback Blake Horvath again to expertly run the choice — and unleash a sneaky-good passing assault — Navy seems to be poised to construct on its 10–3 marketing campaign.
The offense has lengthy been Navy’s id, however its turnover-hungry protection could also be the true key to success. Head coach Brian Newberry, who took over after longtime chief Ken Niumatalolo’s departure, crafted a unit that rounded into kind late final yr.
Navy picked off 17 passes in 2024, rating seventh nationally. Changing star nook Dashaun Peele received’t be straightforward, however returners like Landon Robinson and Griffen Willis ought to hold the strain up entrance and assist the secondary generate takeaways.
If the Midshipmen can contend for the Group of 5’s Playoff bid, the storied Military-Navy rivalry may tackle much more nationwide significance.
Not a nasty option to cap the season forward of the second 12-team event.
