College Soccer in the MLS Era | Annapolis News

American soccer is evolving fast—with MLS swelling to 30 teams and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon—yet this growth is shrinking college soccer’s pipeline. Young athletes are signing early pro deals, often with no guaranteed playing time, locking them out of college eligibility and risking stagnation. Coaches like Sasho Cirovski see the fallout: kids chasing pro dreams fueled by social media’s highlight reels, while colleges scramble to recruit overseas talent. To reverse course, schools are pushing for reforms like NIL rights and a split-season format to better align with pro leagues and preserve college soccer’s role as a launchpad for pros. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7d736f62cb6bb077