Why MSU Should Add Men's Soccer

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Originally Posted by godlluB

If we're going to add a non-revenue sport, I vote for swimming. MSU and Ole Miss are the only two SEC schools without swim teams.

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Swimming and Gymnastics?

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Originally Posted by godlluB

If we're going to add a non-revenue sport, I vote for swimming. MSU and Ole Miss are the only two SEC schools without swim teams.

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Does MSU have an Olympic style aqua center to support that or are they just going to practice at the University Commons pool?

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Originally Posted by Dawg61

Does MSU have an Olympic style aqua center to support that or are they just going to practice at the University Commons pool?

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Only viable pool is the Sanderson pool...not deep enough for diving competitions though.

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Originally Posted by TheRef

Only viable pool is the Sanderson pool...not deep enough for diving competitions though.

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Not Olympic length either. Have always heard LT undersized it on purpose...

It's half Olympic length. 50 meters is two pool lengths instead of one. Like most student fitness centers at universities around the country, it was intentionally built as a half width pool to prevent varsity sports from using it for competitions.

That said, it regularly houses high school and club level swim meets.

I've never thought there was a question of "should" we add men's soccer. It was always a question of making it work logistically, with the title IX malarky.

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Originally Posted by dickiedawg

I've never thought there was a question of "should" we add men's soccer. It was always a question of making it work logistically, with the title IX malarky.

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That's when you just think about good women alternatives.

Expenses (from athleticscholarships.com)

Gymanstics: $603,220
Lacrosse: $214,185
Rowing: $489,155

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Originally Posted by TheRef

That's when you just think about good women alternatives.

Expenses (from athleticscholarships.com)

Gymanstics: $603,220
Lacrosse: $214,185
Rowing: $489,155

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Gymnasts are hot, worth the extra $$$. ***

If we are adding a women's sport I vote for beach volleyball. Trust me you'll thank me later.

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Originally Posted by Dawg61

If we are adding a women's sport I vote for beach volleyball. Trust me you'll thank me later.

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I agree....we already have a club team, but it's not supported by the Athletic department. All we need is the University to build a set of sand-pits and viola! We have all we need for a beach volleyball team.

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Originally Posted by TheRef

I agree....we already have a club team, but it's not supported by the Athletic department. All we need is the University to build a set of sand-pits and viola! We have all we need for a beach volleyball team.

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It can't be all that expensive to add a beach volleyball program. This is a win win win guys.

Let's try to field a regular volleyball team that isn't the laughing stock of the OVC first, please.

What about bowling, equestrian, rifle?

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Originally Posted by Dawg61

It can't be all that expensive to add a beach volleyball program

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Shouldn't be. But will the SEC endorse a beach volleyball conference/championship? That's the real question here.

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Originally Posted by godlluB

Let's try to field a regular volleyball team that isn't the laughing stock of the OVC first, please.

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This will help the volleyball team. Lots of HS athletes want to be able to play both sports in college and there's only like 18 schools that have D1 beach volleyball programs right now.

Bowling: Vandy is the only other SEC school with a Bowling program
Equestrian: Costs can range between $100k and $450k. Colleges in SEC: Auburn, UGA, USCe, TAMU
Marksmanship: UK, OM

Without getting into the details i think an official men's soccer program would be great. You probably wouldn't even need that many schollies, if any as a lot of the good soccer players i've known over the years were smart enough to get some academic money.

You could do skeet. Starkville already has a gun club off Old West Point road. The only cost would be for shotgun shells, an MSU shirt, and travel. The shooters will have there own gun.

Funny story about Rifle/Marksmanship

I worked with a woman one time that had a daughter at Ole Miss. She grew up in the country, hunting with her dad, etc. After her freshman year at Ole Miss, she tried out for the rifle team and got a full scholarship for her final three years and all of the athlete perks.

This is going to shock a lot of you, but if we were to add a women's sport and a men's sport, here is what I would do:

Women's Rifle: If we were serious about it, we could be a good program.
Men's soccer: We already have the facility and it has shared expenses with the women's program.

But, I don't see either happening anytime soon. The athletic department's plan seems to be focusing heavily on football at the expense of men's basketball, letting the history of our baseball program drive it. Letting the chips fall where they will on other men's programs (Why we are letting our men's tennis coach leave to be a women's coach at Pepperdine)

On the women's side, there seems to be a genuine improvement plan across the board. Women's basketball should be really good this year. Women's golf finished fifth in the NCAA Championship. Volleyball and Tennis better get their act together or they will have new coaches soon, I imagine. This is the last season that Jenny Hazlewood can use her MSU pedigree.