This deserves more in-depth treatment, but alas, there is no time. Craig Stouffer has the lowdown on an NCAA rule change that is a massive coup for MLS; simply put, players will no longer jeopardize their eligibility if they simply play alongside professionals. Yes, if you weren't aware, that was the old rule, as asinine as it sounds.


If, and it's looking fairly certain from what most in-the-know are saying, the reserve league comes back, MLS academy prospects can now play in those matches without losing their college eligibility. The opportunity to test academy kids against stronger opposition will ultimately be invaluable to clubs as they look to flesh out who's ready for the first team and who's not.


College soccer isn't going anywhere; this rule change lets kids who aren't ready for MLS at 18 move on to the college game with a chance to get an education. If they're good enough for the league when their college time is over, the MLS club can always bring them back. New rule, new options.


Again, in terms of the league's ability to bring along young players through competition against professionals and better identify the best prospects in which to invest first-team contracts, the benefit of this rule change cannot be overstated.


Unfortunately, the rule change didn't come about specifically due to soccer. That fact gives us little hope college soccer's on-field rules will be brought in line with FIFA rules anytime soon.

Here we go. First kick is here, and I'm beyond ready. I'm so ready, in fact, that I completely forgot that NCCA basketball tournament Sweet 16 games start tonight, going directly up against the Sounders-Union showdown in Seattle.


I know what I'll be watching, and I know a small and dedicated MLS fan base will forsake the basketball games for the soccer match; but I doubt that will be the case for most casual sports fans, and even some soccer die hards will struggle to switch from CBS and the Sweet 16 to ESPN2 and MLS at 9:30 ET.


So is it just a matter of poor planning on the part of Major League Soccer, or are they snake-bitten when it comes to going up against higher-profile sporting events?


I tend to put it in the latter category, especially since MLS is beholden to ESPN for their season debut. It's likely Bristol that presents the league with dates to kick off the season, and I have trouble believe Garber and co. would choose to battle college basketball unless they had no choice.


MLS has refocused their energies on the passionate soccer fan, a smart move in an country where snagging casual general sports fans was always going to be extremely difficult. Because of that, perhaps the thinking is that the head-to-head with the NCAAs is of little consequence, because their core audience will watch First Kick and any causal interest would be minimal and outside of their target anyway.


And yes, I realize that's a weak rationalization. Just thinking this through.


Would tonight's match do better without the competition? Possibly, though I don't think it's a slam dunk (pardon the metaphor), and might make little difference in the final rating anyway. We've learned that MLS matches just don't do that well, no matter the night of the week they're on (though there was a small bump last season when ESPN moved their broadcasts around rather than locked them into Thursdays), or the programming they are up against. The league and the network need to find a way to attract American soccer fans who haven't previously given any of their time to MLS before they worry about the lack of casual sports fans who might wander by and stick with the game.


But for those of us interested in both events, it does present a bit of a problem. I'll be watching Seattle-Philly because I've committed so much of my time and energy to the product and I'll take much more from the start of a new MLS season from a stadium with 35k fans than I will a third round tournament game for a sport I only follow in March.


There might not be that many like me, though.


Do you have any issues with First Kick going up against the NCAAs?