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Maryland’s Sasho Cirovski blasts push to undo college soccer overhaul
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- Maryland’s Sasho Cirovski blasts push to undo college soccer overhaul
COLLEGE PARK — Maryland men's soccer coach Sasho Cirovski spent 13 years fighting to revolutionize college soccer. Now, less than a month after achieving his goal, he is fighting to keep it alive.
And he's not holding back.
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Cirovski blasted athletic directors and conference commissioners campaigning to overturn a proposed two-semester soccer calendar , accusing them of fearmongering and prioritizing institutional interests over student-athletes.
"I've been incredibly disappointed at the massive lobbying effort led by smaller, lower-resourced athletic directors calling their buddies to overturn this," Cirovski told The Baltimore Sun on Monday.
The opposition is gaining momentum. As of Monday afternoon, 186 Division I schools had submitted requests to rescind the proposal, according to Drake athletic director Brian Hardin and Big West commissioner Dan Butterly, both vocal opponents of the change.
That leaves opponents 55 votes shy of the 241 needed to overturn the legislation before Friday's 5 p.m. deadline.
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For Cirovski, the stakes are personal. He wrote his first formal proposal to overhaul college soccer in December 2013, spent years lobbying coaches and administrators, and appeared on the verge of success in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic derailed a planned vote.
When the NCAA Division I Cabinet finally approved the proposal Oct. 7, Cirovski called it one of the proudest moments of his coaching career.
Now, the achievement he spent more than a decade pursuing could be undone.
The model, scheduled to begin in 2027-28, would spread men's soccer competition across the fall and spring semesters, moving the national championship from December to spring. The maximum number of games would remain at 25.
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Cirovski argues the current compressed fall schedule contributes to injuries, missed classes and limited exposure. He believes fewer midweek games, more recovery time and a spring championship would transform the sport.
Maryland athletic director Jim Smith has publicly backed Cirovski's efforts, emphasizing the coach's commitment to student-athlete welfare.
"Coach Sasho Cirovski has spent years passionately advocating for a better student-athlete experience and stronger support for student-athlete wellness," Smith said in a statement to The Sun. "His leadership and commitment are reflected in the two-semester model for men's soccer, which puts the well-being and development of our student-athletes at the center."
His critics aren't convinced.
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The disagreement has spilled onto social media, where Cirovski and Hardin have publicly sparred over the proposal. Hardin has encouraged administrators to join the campaign to reach 241 rescission votes, while Cirovski has questioned whether opponents adequately consulted their coaches and players. The Maryland coach referred to their exchanges as a "Twitter war."
"Just because the season gets longer does not mean that the student-athlete experience gets better," Hardin told The Sun. "I don't support assuming that a longer competition season accomplishes that."
At Drake, Hardin said, the new model would require expanding indoor practice facility rentals from one-third of a field three days a week to an entire field five days a week. Additional travel expenses could force cuts elsewhere, including hotels, meals and equipment.
Cirovski dismissed the suggestion that athletic departments couldn't find workable alternatives.
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"I have more confidence in ADs being able to solve these problems once they actually sit down with their coaches and their players," he said.
He noted that schools could redistribute games according to their circumstances, potentially waiting until March to begin spring competition.
"I wish more ADs would actually spend time talking to each other about solving problems and do what's right for the players and the game," Cirovski said.
The disagreement extends beyond finances.
Coastal Athletic Association commissioner Joe D'Antonio fears the proposal could establish a precedent for other sports to pursue similarly extended schedules.
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"Intercollegiate athletics, as an industry as we know it, is not built to play all of these sports in a year-round capacity," D'Antonio told The Sun.
Cirovski offered a blistering response.
"That to me, that's a lame fearmongering excuse," he said. "Not one of those sports has suggested that they want to do this."
Butterly, meanwhile, warned the model could produce an even more devastating consequence: the elimination of men's soccer programs.
The Big West commissioner warned that the financial burden of the proposed calendar could have consequences far beyond increased operating costs, particularly for athletic departments already facing difficult budget decisions.
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"That puts men's soccer into a vulnerable position to consider being cut from their rosters," Butterly said.
Butterly also disputed the purported academic and health benefits, arguing the same number of games spread across two semesters could mean more practices and less time for academics.
Cirovski countered that sports science supports reducing the frequency of competition and that schools could save money by shortening preseason training.
The conflict has also exposed concerns about NCAA governance.
The Division I Cabinet approved the proposal despite opposition from 20 conferences earlier in the process. Butterly criticized the NCAA's weighted voting structure, which gives greater influence to the four largest football conferences, arguing it diminishes the voices of smaller leagues.
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Hardin similarly questioned how the proposal advanced despite widespread opposition.
"They clearly have found an avenue to finally get to this point here, even though it lacks overwhelming support from membership," Hardin said.
D'Antonio acknowledged the controversy could prompt a broader examination of whether the governance structure operates as intended.
Cirovski sees the institutional resistance as evidence of a deeper problem.
"The NCAA is a mess," he said. "One of the reasons the NCAA is a mess is because the institutionalization of the NCAA has not allowed quick enough change to support the student-athletes."
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As Friday approaches, both sides are working to influence the remaining schools. Cirovski said he receives updates every few hours and has contacted institutions about withdrawing their rescission votes. One school has done so, he said.
And if opponents reach 241?
"We will not be done," Cirovski said. "This will not be a dead issue."
Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com , 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes .
