U.S. Soccer Forms Committee to Recommend NCAA Soccer Changes by 2026

The U.S. Soccer Federation has established the NextGen College Soccer Committee to explore ways to better integrate college soccer into the broader U.S. soccer ecosystem while maintaining its role in player development, education, and community engagement. Chaired by Dan Helfrich, the committee includes leaders from professional leagues, college programs, sports business, and player representation, reflecting a diverse range of expertise. The group aims to publish a white paper with recommendations by the start of the 2025-26 academic year and proposes possible implementation of initiatives as early as 2026-27. This effort recognizes that college soccer's influence on men's professional teams has diminished due to the rise of academy systems, and it seeks to adapt the college game, which currently allows unlimited substitutions and clock stoppages, to fit a modern soccer framework. The committee will gather input from various stakeholders, including NCAA and USOPC, and will consider differences between men's and women's college soccer models. The announcement coincides with broader changes in college sports, including a recent $2.8 billion settlement permitting colleges to pay student-athletes, signaling a transformative period for college athletics overall.