brianstl Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 SLU debuts at 9th in this week's Top Drawer Soccer Ranking. https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-national-rankings/men OkieBilliken, Gremio14, BuiltFordBills and 5 others like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeldmacher Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 4 hours ago, brianstl said: SLU debuts at 9th in this week's Top Drawer Soccer Ranking. https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-national-rankings/men This is off topic for this thread, but in another thread there was a discussion about SLU getting into a basketball only conference. Some posters had concern about being in a different conference than our other sports. To illustrate that this is not an issue, check out this list. West Virginia is ranked #2 in the soccer poll and their soccer team is listed in the Sun Belt Conference. Their other teams play in the Big 12. Also, #7 Western Michigan's soccer team plays in the the Missouri Valley Conference, even though their other sports teams play in the MAC. #19 Kentucky's soccer team also plays in the Sun Belt Conference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieBilliken Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 7 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said: This is off topic for this thread, but in another thread there was a discussion about SLU getting into a basketball only conference. Some posters had concern about being in a different conference than our other sports. To illustrate that this is not an issue, check out this list. West Virginia is ranked #2 in the soccer poll and their soccer team is listed in the Sun Belt Conference. Their other teams play in the Big 12. Also, #7 Western Michigan's soccer team plays in the the Missouri Valley Conference, even though their other sports teams play in the MAC. #19 Kentucky's soccer team also plays in the Sun Belt Conference. UCF Men's soccer also in the Sun Belt now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 These are schools in different conferences because their primary doesn't sponsor soccer. Not exactly a 1:1 comparison for our scenario. MAC discontinued soccer in 2022. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Elrond Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Exactly correct. The way conferences work today, if you are a member of a conference, you are expected to compete in that conference sport if the conference sponsors a championship for it. This is non-negotiable the way conferences are set up these days. If a school decides to have a team in a sport that the conference doesn’t have a championship in, then it can negotiate to join another conference as an associate member in that sport only. But if the conference they are in decides to sponsor a sport, they are required to do that. A good example of this was SIUE in men’s soccer. SIUE was a member of the OVC, but the OVC for years didn’t sponsor men’s soccer, so SIUE became an associate member of the MVC for men’s soccer. A few years ago the OVC decided to sponsor men’s soccer, so SIUE had to join it. While 362 schools complete in D1 basketball in 32 conferences, only 211 schools compete in men’s soccer in 23 conferences. This is why you see schools in different conferences in men’s soccer. While I think it would be better if there were basketball only conferences and conferences for non-revenue sports, and maybe schools join different conferences that make better sense for them, I fully recognize that the way conferences are now stands in they way of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, cgeldmacher said: This is off topic for this thread, but in another thread there was a discussion about SLU getting into a basketball only conference. Some posters had concern about being in a different conference than our other sports. To illustrate that this is not an issue, check out this list. West Virginia is ranked #2 in the soccer poll and their soccer team is listed in the Sun Belt Conference. Their other teams play in the Big 12. Also, #7 Western Michigan's soccer team plays in the the Missouri Valley Conference, even though their other sports teams play in the MAC. #19 Kentucky's soccer team also plays in the Sun Belt Conference. The Big 12 doesn't sponsor Men's Soccer. They don't sponsor Woman's Field Hockey either. They sponsor Equestrian, four schools participate, which I think is kind of weird. It's a fall sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 16 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said: While 362 schools complete in D1 basketball in 32 conferences, only 211 schools compete in men’s soccer in 23 conferences. This is why you see schools in different conferences in men’s soccer. 82 schools fielded D1 Woman's Field Hocket teams last season in 10 conferences + 3 schools playing as independents. (SLU finished 78th in RPI.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 2025 Lucas McPartlin, a goalkeeper from St. Louis City Academy, formerly SLSG Academy, is the 7th SLU commit in the class. And, he’s the 6th, from the U18 St. Louis City Academy team. blue bodega, HoosierPal and Heisler like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeldmacher Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 22 hours ago, billikenfan05 said: These are schools in different conferences because their primary doesn't sponsor soccer. Not exactly a 1:1 comparison for our scenario. MAC discontinued soccer in 2022. I agree that it is not a 1:1 comparison, but if we had the opportunity to get into a basketball only conference with Gonzaga, St. Mary's, VCU, Dayton, Wichita State, Memphis, Loyola, etc. I would take my chances with the A-10's rules. If they want to kick us out for putting our basketball teams in that basketball only conference, so be it. We'll find somewhere else for out other teams to play, maybe the Missouri Valley. In fact, if our basketball programs are in this new conference, the Missouri Valley might be a better landing spot for our other sports anyway under those circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 5 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said: the Missouri Valley might be a better landing spot for our other sports anyway under those circumstances. MVC has a lot of public schools. public schools have kind of an unlimited checking account. the non revenue sports are more at a disadvantage vs public schools than the revenue sports and the private schools tend to open up the safe for those revenue sports more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeldmacher Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 1 minute ago, billiken_roy said: MVC has a lot of public schools. public schools have kind of an unlimited checking account. the non revenue sports are more at a disadvantage vs public schools than the revenue sports and the private schools tend to open up the safe for those revenue sports more. I feel confident that teams like soccer, baseball/softball, volleyball would compete just fine in the Missouri Valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieBilliken Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 5 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said: I feel confident that teams like soccer, baseball/softball, volleyball would compete just fine in the Missouri Valley. The Valley is trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 United Soccer Coaches this week: SLU 6 Portland 8 SMU receiving votes Lord Elrond likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 The full United Soccer Coaches rankings for those interested. https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-di-men/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WUH Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 6 hours ago, billiken_roy said: MVC has a lot of public schools. public schools have kind of an unlimited checking account. the non revenue sports are more at a disadvantage vs public schools than the revenue sports and the private schools tend to open up the safe for those revenue sports more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUBALLS Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 SLU v Indiana highlights. First goal about a minute in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Lord Elrond likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeldmacher Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 23 hours ago, OkieBilliken said: The Valley is trash. Is it better or worse than the A-10 when you don't include basketball? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieBilliken Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 17 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said: Is it better or worse than the A-10 when you don't include basketball? For conference affiliation, basketball is the only thing that matters. Des Moines, Carbondale, Terre Haute, Cedar Falls, Normal......trash, trash & more trash. I'll take Philly, Dayton, DC, Richmond, Chicago everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 39 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said: Is it better or worse than the A-10 when you don't include basketball? It all depends on the sport, conference and the type of schools in the conference. Baseball/Softball would likely sit mid pack but softball might struggle in the MVC. Smaller public universities tend to do well at baseball/softball due to scholarship limitations and lower tuition rates. Soccer would dominate the MVC. The sport has always been dominated by private schools due to sports demographic. Volleyball would likely compete for the top 4. Track and Field would struggle, again the sports demographics and limited scholarship availability/high tuition rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WUH Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 8 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said: Soccer would dominate the MVC. The sport has always been dominated by private schools due to sports demographic. The latest United Soccer rankings rank SLU below MVC affiliate Western Michigan. Bowling Green defeated Michigan State (and I believe they defeated Indiana. A scrimmage, but still). Missouri State is always in the Top 50 program and often a Top 25 level program. Lots of public schools do well in Men's Soccer. ________________________________________________________________ 5 Western Michigan University 12 0 165 2-0-0 6 Saint Louis University NR 0 152 1-0-0 7 Syracuse University 25 0 151 2-0-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 1 minute ago, WUH said: The latest United Soccer rankings rank SLU below MVC affiliate Western Michigan. Bowling Green defeated Michigan State (and I believe they defeated Indiana. A scrimmage, but still). Missouri State is always in the Top 50 program and often a Top 25 level program. Lots of public schools do well in Men's Soccer. ________________________________________________________________ 5 Western Michigan University 12 0 165 2-0-0 6 Saint Louis University NR 0 152 1-0-0 7 Syracuse University 25 0 151 2-0-0 Got me here. I should have probably said historically. They both were just added in 2022. Missouri State has never beaten SLU. As a man of principle I said what I said. WUH likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WUH Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 13 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said: Missouri State has never beaten SLU. No way that is true, is it? My first ever SLU game happened to be Missouri State in the tournament way back when they played at Soccer Park. I was so unprepared for the record cold weather, but the game was incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 1 minute ago, WUH said: No way that is true, is it? My first ever SLU game happened to be Missouri State in the tournament back way back when they played at Soccer Park. I was so unprepared for the record cold weather, but the game was incredible. You questioned me and I about had a panic attack thinking I read it wrong and showed my a$$. According to record books immaculately kept by Brian Kunderman: Missouri State 9-0-5 2011 Tie 1-1 (H) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WUH Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Thanks for looking it up. That is incredible to be honest. I like that game and appreciate that they continue to schedule SLU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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