Is Ole Miss Ready for Men's Soccer?

Even though the Southeastern Conference is the last major conference to authorize men's soccer as a sport, the Ole Miss soccer community continues to grow with the looks of a promising future ahead.

A member of the Ole Miss Men's Soccer Club during a game at the Intramural Fields.
(Ole Miss Intramural Sports & Sport Clubs; Sept. 13, 2013) 

When Ole Miss thinks of soccer what do they think of? Many say the Ole Miss women’s soccer team that placed fourth in the SEC overall standings. There is an annual philanthropic event hosted by the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity called the “ATO Greek Cup” that some might think of. Others think of the men’s soccer club in corporation with Ole Miss campus recreation. However, no one thinks of an Ole Miss men’s soccer team, because there is not one.

Women’s soccer has been a Southeastern Conference sanctioned sport since the early 1990s. However, men’s soccer is still outside of the loop according to the SEC. The Southeastern Conference is notably the most supported and financially able conference in the National Collegiate Athletics Association. So why haven’t they stepped up to the plate?

Grant Morgan, a freshman sports enthusiast and SEC supporter, says, “Personally, I’m not a soccer fan, but I think a prestigious conference like the SEC should offer all sports for men and women.”

Check out this discussion board about Men's Soccer in the SEC!

The ideal situation would be for the SEC to begin a men’s soccer program for all fourteen schools of the conference to participate in.

But, two schools of the Southeastern Conference, the University of South Carolina and the University of Kentucky, already have men’s soccer teams. They must compete with Conference USA due to the position of the SEC. With these schools making bold actions to have a men’s soccer team, it shows that the interest is there and growing.

The ladies of Phi Mu smile for a picture after competing in the ATO Greek Cup
and finishing 3-4 against Alpha Omicron Pi.

 Michael Cherry, a freshman soccer player at American University in Washington, D.C., says, “I like that schools that are so heavily invested in one or two sports are becoming open to including other sports like men’s soccer as a part of their varsity programs.” 

Cherry, who is one of the leaders in assists this season, thinks that he might have explored SEC schools more if an established soccer program was available. Cherry explains, “I don’t know if I necessarily would have gone to a SEC school, but it definitely would have allowed me to have more doors opened.”

If the Southeastern Conference decided to expand by adding men’s soccer, Grant Morgan thinks that the interest in soccer would only continue to grow. With the facilities for women’s soccer already being in place, men’s soccer could bring a different dynamic to the Ole Miss campus. Morgan says, “Bringing men’s soccer to Ole Miss would only expand the university and offer more to its students.”