A proposed men’s college soccer split-season format has been defeated after enough Division I schools voted against it during a 30-day rescission window. The NCAA announced Friday that the rejection threshold had been met, ending a bid to replace the traditional fall-only campaign with one spanning both semesters.
The decision closes a process that began in May, when the NCAA announced the schedule change. The proposal later fell short of the 75% support needed in the Division I Cabinet vote in October, which opened the rescission period. Under those rules, 241 of 361 Division I schools needed to oppose the measure for it to be rejected. The deadline was 5 p.m. ET Friday.
What the proposal would have changed
Division I men’s soccer currently plays a 10- to 13-week season in the fall. The proposed model would have stretched the campaign across the fall and spring semesters, reducing the density of games in a single term.
Supporters argued the change would create more recovery and training time between matches, offer a longer window for player development, and reduce roster turnover by aligning with one annual transfer window instead of two. They also said it would allow for a more balanced college experience with additional time for academics.
Maryland men’s coach Sasho Cirovski, a prominent backer of the change, described the current schedule as outdated and said it has remained essentially unchanged since 1959. He argued that modernization was necessary for the college game.
U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson also endorsed the concept, telling ESPN that a less congested calendar would let college players be students rather than spending the week consumed by games. He said the change would be better for development and noted that no other league in the world uses such a schedule.
Why schools pushed back
Opposition centered on operational and financial concerns. The University of Toledo cited increased costs, reduced out-of-season experiential opportunities for student-athletes, facility conflicts with spring sports, greater staffing demands, and weather-related competition issues at northern institutions.
The University of Idaho raised a related worry: that approving the men’s soccer change could trigger a wave of similar requests from other sports, stretching support staff thin as another spring sport would need coverage.
Cirovski rejected the fear of setting a precedent. He said concerns about opening a Pandora’s box should not block progress, adding that perfection should not stand in the way of improvement.
The development argument
Advocates for the split season pointed to evidence suggesting fewer injuries when the schedule is less compressed, along with more time to recover and refine skills. They also noted that consistent minutes in a stable environment during this stage of player development can benefit long-term careers.
Under the current model, those minutes are concentrated in the fall, leaving long stretches without competitive games for the rest of the year. Players can join the semiprofessional USL League Two in the spring and summer, but that means adjusting to a new surrounding and league rather than continuing in a stable setting.
Supporters also framed the change as a way to mirror the global soccer calendar, which typically runs from summer to spring for most major leagues. MLS, the top tier of American soccer, is set to switch to that format next year after 30 years of running from spring through fall.
Cirovski argued that keeping the 1950s-era format has made Division I men’s programs less relevant in player development. He said that roughly 20 years ago only a handful of top prospects skipped college, while now the vast majority of the top 100 are choosing pathways such as MLS Next Pro or MLS Next. He said those players look at a 2½-month season and see a higher injury risk combined with no meaningful games for eight months, making college a less attractive platform.
What comes next
With the proposal rejected, Cirovski said he will look for other ways to split the season across two semesters. He said everything else will be on the table because many motivated schools still want to pursue a split season, and they will begin exploring different opportunities to play in that format.
