There has never been more of a soccer buzz across the state, the northeast and the country than there has been in the last two years.
In eastern Maine, the University of Maine unveiled its $27.3 million New Balance Track and Field and Soccer Complex on Oct. 2 when the Black Bear women’s soccer team battled to a 1-1 America East tie with Bryant University in Orono.
In southern Maine, the Portland Hearts of Pine professional soccer team made its debut in United Soccer League’s League One and the team is averaging over 5,700 fans per game at Fitzpatrick Stadium, which can seat 5,500 with another 500 standing room spots.
Bangor native Joshua Partal is leading the nation’s number-one ranked Stanford Cardinal in assists with six and he’s a freshman. Stanford is 11-1-1.
There are two America East men’s teams ranked in the top seven in the country with 12-0-1 Bryant at number two right behind Stanford and defending national champ Vermont (8-0-5) in the No. 7 slot.
Vermont won America East’s first NCAA title behind eighth-year head coach Rob Dow, who played soccer at UMaine and went on to become an assistant coach for the Black Bears for one season.
Dow led the Black Bears in scoring twice.
And Dow had two Maine natives on his roster a year ago in Kennebunk midfielder Connor Thompson and forward Max Murray from Kennebunkport.
Thompson is still there.
The UMaine women won the America East Tournament for the second straight year and earned another NCAA Tournament berth.
The 2023 America East tournament championship and NCAA tourney berth was the first in program history.
And the country is gearing up for the 2026 men’s World Cup as it will serve as one of three hosts along with Canada and Mexico. There will be 11 U.S. stadiums involved including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey where the final will be held on July 19.
There will be 16 more teams compared to 2022, bringing the number to 48.
With soccer reaching this level of interest, isn’t it time for the University of Maine to consider reviving the men’s soccer program?
The program was dropped in 2009 along with women’s volleyball as the result of a university-mandated $8 million budget reduction for fiscal year 2010.
At the time, UMaine athletic director Blake James, who is now the AD at Boston College, said in a Bangor Daily News story that, “It was a situation where we had to look at addressing a budget shortfall that was significant and we looked at all the different options. Ultimately, [suspending] these two programs ended up being the best solution to a terrible situation.”
Cutting the two sports was expected to save the university $600,000 in 2010 and more than $900,000 in future years.
That left UMaine with 17 varsity programs, which it still has.
Current UMaine athletic director Jude Killy is a former college soccer player and loves the sport.
But Killy said re-starting the men’s program is not something they’re looking at at this time, “especially with the ever-changing NCAA landscape” and what it takes to navigate that.
“Our focus has really been on our women’s program and getting them off the baseball field and giving baseball their own field back,” Killy said. “Setting both of those programs up for success.”
The women’s soccer team had been playing on the baseball field at Mahaney Diamond in recent years.
“The women’s team deserves to play on its own field,” he stressed.
Reviving men’s soccer would also likely mean adding a women’s program, like volleyball or lacrosse, to adhere to Title IX requirements.
“Obviously adding any sport would be a cost, depending upon what you’re going to invest in,” Killy said. “My focus is on taking care of all of the sports in our current portfolio the best we possibly can and continue to grow them and support them with the most resources we possibly can.”
Killy said it is “wonderful” to see what’s happening with the Hearts of Pine and with UMaine alum Dow’s success at Vermont.
“It’s really exciting to see the game growing in that regard, but we’re not in a position to be able to do that,” said Killy.
UMaine women’s soccer head coach Scott Atherley was a former standout left winger for the UMaine men’s team, and he also coached the men’s team after his playing days were over.
He completely understands the rationale for not bringing the men’s program back at this time.
“From my perspective, what’s first and foremost is that we’re able to fund and operate our current programs at a level that’s necessary to be competitive,” said Atherley. “That’s the first thing.”
He said the landscape is even more challenging in the era of Name, Image and Likeness and other changes in college athletics.
“Would it be great to see men’s soccer back here? Of course it would,” Atherley added. “But with all of the other considerations financially and all of the logistical questions… the situation and circumstances would have to be right in order to fund any additional programs.”
Atherley said he hears more about programs potentially being eliminated across the country rather than added, given the challenges in the shifting world of college sports.
Atherley said if it was “realistic and viable” to bring men’s soccer back, he’s confident that Killy and the administration would recognize that.
“I have been so impressed with Jude’s vision and how he really carefully looks at everything. He is very thoughtful,” Atherley said. “If anybody is going to be able to see if and when the right time is, it would be him.”
