By Nate Nef
Men’s soccer coach Chris Watkins receives on average five requests a day, and over 1,000 a year, from players wanting to come play soccer at BYU. Over half of these requests are from international players.
“The players wanting to come play for us – it’s incredible,” Watkins said. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. It’s really hard to manage though.”
Why would they want to play soccer at BYU? There are no soccer scholarships for men at BYU. In large part, it may be because the soccer program here is the only one of its kind.
The Cougars compete at a completely different level than any other college team in the nation. Most men’s soccer teams at the college level compete at either the collegiate club level or at the NCAA level and play against other college teams. BYU has an amateur team that competes against other amateur teams at a level considered higher than NCAA soccer.
In February 2003, the BYU men’s soccer team purchased a Premier Development League franchise and now competes in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the PDL. Unofficially, the PDL is considered to be the fourth tier of competition, behind Major League Soccer, the United Soccer League First Division and the USL Second Division, and equal with the National Premier Soccer League and the Pacific Coast Soccer League.
At the collegiate club level, BYU had established a dynasty. It won its first national championship in 1993 and won a total of seven national championships, including an unprecedented run of 30 straight victories at the Club National Championships before joining the PDL.
“We were very successful at the club level,” Watkins said. “It really wasn’t a challenge for us. We had outgrown it. We were winning the championship 4-0. We needed a challenge; our players deserved a better challenge. … This was not just the next best thing, but actually we found something better. A better fit for the university, a better fit for our team.”
To become a part of the PDL, BYU had to purchase a franchise just like any expansion team in any major sport must. A donor provided the money for the franchise, and BYU was required to commit to several things. For example, PDL rules dictate that a maximum of eight players on each team’s 26-man roster can be over 23 years old, while at least three players on each team’s roster must be 18 or younger.
In return, the PDL had to agree to move their championship game from Sunday to Saturday, which they did.
Ultimately, the school administration had to approve the move as well.
“We felt it was an opportunity,” said Academic Vice President Fred Skousen, who had a part in approving the decision. “We were dominant in that competition [collegiate club level]. The move would allow athletes to have a higher level of competition, not lose their amateur status and still maintain themselves as students at the university.”
BYU players must not only comply with the PDL’s standards, but the standards set by the BYU soccer program on top of that. All players must be enrolled as full-time students at the university and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.4, which is higher than the minimum GPA required for other student athletes at BYU.
The players are now competing at a higher level of competition and developing their skills as they are challenged on the field. In addition, the team is able to travel internationally and play against professional international teams. This would not be allowed if the team was a part of the NCAA.
“[In the] PDL we have so many more opportunities in the fact that we get to travel internationally,” said Tyson Miller, BYU forward. “Every year we go on a trip … we bring in professional teams, whereas if we were at an NCAA level we wouldn’t have that opportunity.”
The team has visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Holland and most recently returned from Chile in May. While in Chile, the team played against three teams in the country’s top division. Two out of the three games the Cougars tied 1-1, and although there were no wins, the team was pleased with the results against professional athletes on their home fields.
In addition to playing soccer, the team offered service, cleaning up an orphanage and holding several firesides. In so doing, the team is fulfilling the mission of BYU and the LDS Church.
“Since we’re not subject to any of the [NCAA] regulations, we can do a lot more,” said Jeff Jensen, a former BYU player. “I think that really plays into fulfilling the mission of the school and the church better than if we were an NCAA team. Because soccer is the most popular sport in the world, so it just makes sense that BYU – an international university, international church with so many RMs that speak all these languages – [would contribute internationally]. It’s just such a perfect [fit] for us to be able to do that and preach the gospel while playing the sport we love. It’s awesome.”
It has taken some time for BYU to adjust to the PDL. Their first year in the league was challenging, and the Cougars came away with a record of 2-15 for the 2003 season. In 2004, the team managed to improve and ended with a record of 8-9-1. 2005 marked the team’s first winning season with a record of 8-7-1. Last year was BYU’s best season yet. The Cougars had a record of 9-6-1, which earned them second place in their division and a trip to the playoffs. BYU made it to the elite eight and lost there in penalty kicks.
Although the team struggled its first year, it has improved over the years and the decision to leave the collegiate club level has not been regretted.
“It has proven to be a good decision,” Skousen said. “We have improved year after year and really have climbed the ladder. I think we have shown that we can be competitive in the PDL.”
There have been the obvious challenges of playing at a higher level and the team has had to adjust, but is pleased with the progress they have made.
“We feel really good about what we’ve been able to do,” Watkins said. “It’s a tough league, there’s no freebies. … A lot of these guys can play and they’re in this league for a reason. It’s difficult; we have to come everyday ready to play and that’s been a real adjustment for us.”
Looking back, the men’s soccer program at BYU has established itself in this league, and continues to improve, hoping one day to win a championship in the PDL, which no longer seems like an impossible goal.
“We’re just kind of on an upward climb,” Miller said. “We just keep getting better and better with every game we play.”
