In the end, school soccer is again this weekend. For that, we should always all be grateful.
No offense to the game of baseball, which I like, however the months-long interval of baseball carrying the heavy load of the sports activities calendar is coming to an finish. We lastly get a full slate of faculty soccer this Saturday to whet our palates after months of wandering within the desert that’s the interminable offseason.
Wait, I’m being instructed there are solely 5 video games this weekend? Solely considered one of them has any ranked groups enjoying?
Don’t get me improper, Farmageddon (No. 17 Kansas State vs. No. 22 Iowa State) is an effective way to kick off the 2025 season in Dublin on Saturday afternoon. And I’ll be glued to my tv this weekend for video games I’m undecided would usually have something near my full consideration.
I’ll be spitting out sizzling takes from my sofa about how Stanford performs in its season opener at Hawaii after I get far too invested in Fresno State’s upset bid at Kansas.
However on this new period of faculty soccer, is there an actual motive behind the choice to limit which groups can play in Week 0? Or are we now in a world the place we should always put off the amuse-bouche that’s the present Week 0 and simply proclaim this weekend to be Week 1?
The explanation for Week 0 video games at the moment is to present groups an additional bye week if they’re making prolonged journeys. To play a Week 0 recreation, groups should both be enjoying a global recreation, enjoying in Hawaii this season, or enjoying towards a crew that shall be in Hawaii this season.
In any other case, the one different exception is a scheduling battle. UNLV’s scheduled house recreation vs. Idaho State was moved from Sept. 13 to Aug. 23 as a result of Allegiant Stadium was double-booked that night time for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford boxing match.
From a scheduling standpoint, you would do a number of issues by opening up Week 0 to everybody. For those who needed to maintain the nationwide title recreation the place it’s on the third Monday of January, you would give each crew an additional bye week through the season, one thing no coach would complain about.
Nevertheless, for those who had been to maneuver all the common season up every week and eradicate convention championship week — a controversial matter however one which has turn out to be a rising dialog piece within the 12-team (and doubtless quickly bigger) playoff period — that may provide the two weeks you have to play the nationwide title recreation the place it belongs.
On a Saturday. Not pressured to Monday night time till near midnight on the East Coast merely to keep away from competing with the NFL playoffs.
The game that owns fall Saturdays ought to end on that very same day. That is the best way to make that occur.
The facet advantage of beginning every season out with a deluge of faculty soccer as an alternative of a trickle would simply be an additional bonus.
