ESPN reportedly ‘supportive’ of holding men’s, women’s NCAA soccer championships on same weekend

Some major changes could be coming to college soccer.

A wide-ranging report published by Sportico on Sunday detailed a number of changes that are potentially brewing for college soccer, headlined by a long-awaited switch for men’s soccer to be a year-round sport. The proposed model, if adopted, would allow for men’s soccer to better align with the sport’s professional apparatus, and lift restrictions of the NCAA model that stunt player development.

U.S. Soccer, the sport’s governing body in the country, is reportedly supportive of the change, though whether the NCAA will get behind a new model is less clear.

But one nugget from Sportico’s report mentioned a more imminent change to the men’s and women’s College Cup — college soccer’s championship events. ESPN, who broadcasts the competitions across its linear and digital platforms, is reportedly “supportive” of a change that would see the men’s and women’s College Cups played on the same weekend in the same location. Currently, the competitions are generally played in separate locations, on separate weekends (though last year, both College Cups competed in the same location, on different weekends).

Obviously, this would be beneficial to ESPN, who would not have to commit as many resources to broadcasting the event if they were both played on the same days in the same stadium.

But ultimately, this may become a moot point altogether if the men’s season becomes year-round. It’s unclear what form a men’s championship would take under that model; whether there would still be a College Cup in the winter and a separate champion in the spring (when only a limited number of schools are still playing) is uncertain.

Nevertheless, those that are used to watching the women’s College Cup one weekend, and the men’s College Cup the next, might need to adjust their schedules in the coming years.