Men's soccer not high enough on NCAA's priority list

So I'm sitting in the press box at Ericsson Stadium. I've filled up on complimentary BBQ beef, chicken sandwiches and soft drinks all weekend. I've eaten enough cookies to single-handedly keep those Keebler elves busy through February. I got the chance to broadcast a final four game in what can only be described as an extremely nice booth.\nAnd still I'm not happy. No, I'm not the spoiled media type. Well, at least not yet. I'm not upset that they only had Pepsi to drink, or that the chocolate cookies with mint chips (which were excellent, by the way) were just a tad on the crunchy side. I'm pissed off that the NCAA treats the world's most popular game with such disdain. It seems that college soccer is truly the NCAA's red-headed stepchild. How so, you ask? Well, I'll use my soapbox one last time to show what the NCAA is doing and how it can, or already has, solved the problem. \n1) The venue of the final four \nEricsson Stadium is top notch in every way. I'll give the NCAA some credit on this one. The stadium can fit plenty of fans, has top-notch press facilities, locker rooms, concessions and probably some more facets that I probably haven't had the chance to benefit from the past two years. That being said, there are some problems, mainly that the championship for soccer is being played in a football stadium. The beauty of the game is somewhat diminished when the pitch is marked up with yard lines, the Carolina Panther logo, torn up 'through the hashes,' and painted green to make it look better. Fortunately, the NCAA has remedied the situation by moving the championships to Columbus Crew Stadium for the next few seasons. It is America's premier soccer-only venue, plus it will make the stands actually look full, which brings me to my next point. \n2) Championship attendance \nFriday night's crowd was announced at more than 10,000. First of all, that's pitiful for a double-header of soccer action which is supposed to be the showcase event of the sport. Secondly, if there were 10,000 people in that stadium, they counted the media, ushers, concession workers, the stone panthers on the outside of the stadium and people who drove past the stadium while the games were taking place. \n3) Poor timing \nThe NCAA must realize that if you play soccer in December, even in Charlotte, it's probably going to be too cold to bring people out to the event. The worst tragedy of all is that the "academic friendly" NCAA schedules this event every year at the worst possible time for the student-athletes involved in the matches -- the weekend before finals. Now I don't care about my finals (just kidding Mom), but I also don't have to carry a certain GPA to write for the paper. The NCAA obviously would rather attempt to make money off its players (and keep in mind its trying to break even, not make a profit) then to make sure they are in the best situation possible academically. \n4) Exposure/Promotion \nI didn't think it was possible, but the NCAA took a step backwards this year in its coverage of the College Cup. Last year the NCAA found a way to get ESPN2 to cover one of the quarterfinal matches live on Friday night, fitting it in between "X-Treme MotoCross Bloopers" and "LPGA 2Night." But this year, "EXPN" chose to show both games tape-delayed Saturday afternoon. And even in doing so, the IU-Creighton game was chopped and spliced to fit into ESPN's two-hour time-frame for the game. Now, I don't want to tick off any lacrosse fans, but for the love of God ESPN! \nSo what's the master plan? Well, I think it's quite simple. It's a plan that has been bantered about for quite awhile, and I believe that it's a good one. It's a "split-season." You play half the season in the fall and you finish in the spring. Here's what it does. \nIt will ensure that the game is played in at least above-freezing weather, making it more fan-friendly. Thus, attendance is increased, making the NCAA happy because it makes more money and gets better promotion, while at the same time giving the games that "big-match" feel. \nWith the NCAA's two-year Charlotte experiment more or less failing, putting the game in the Midwest, which is rapidly becoming soccer-crazy, should boost attendance even more. It should also become easier to deal with from an academic standpoint because the championship could be played earlier in the academic semester. \nWith the season being split in half, each "half-season" will not be as lengthy, meaning the championship can be moved up earlier in the semester. \nPromotion is still up to ESPN, but I would think the NCAA could somehow include in the rights package a way to ensure that all three College Cup games would go over the air live. \nThe problems of the college soccer game are many, but the NCAA has to first take the initiative to make the game better. But since soccer seems to be the organization's "red-headed stepchild," I can only guess the sport will continue to struggle in the years to come, which is too bad considering that all it would take to improve it is a little thought and attention.