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I am a supporter of all UCA athletics, including soccer. However, I do NOT think that the supporters of reinstating the Men's Soccer program want the vote to got to the students. I am a little surprised at SGA's level of involvement...there are people on here who can tell me what average attendance is at the soccer games. But it isn't many. I think a vote by the school would not even be close, soccer would stay gone. Not that people don't want soccer, they just don't care enough to pay to have it reinstated.

The only thing that may make me wrong is that the students want to show the administration the students make the decisions around here. Stick it to 'em by making them have a team.

Now if I was Chad, and the UCA student body had to FORCE the Athletics Admin to keep my team, I would NOT stay at UCA. What kind of job, job security would that be?

Sorry so long, my 2 cents -- Good luck guys

One year ago Vanderbilt left the MVC and eliminated it's mens soccer program. There were student protests, but no one listened. There was no interaction between the administration and the students. Soccer was gone. We need to give credit to the process that has taken place over the last few weeks. The soccer team took their complaints to the student government leaders and the student government leaders took those concerns to the administration. In the last two weeks there have been many meetings and conversations about reinstating the men's soccer program. The community at large, and I mean the entire state of Arkansas has weighed in on the importance of continuing the only division 1 men's soccer program in the region.

On another note, I keep seeing the same comment about cutting the program because of financial reasons. The difference between playing soccer in a conference verses independent is the unpredictable amount of travel involved, which is a cost factor.

I think that the student government representatives have stepped up to the plate to salvage a program that just happen to not be included in the Southland Conference and therefore gave men's soccer a fighting chance. Also, from what I hear, the President's Office was open, met with SGA, and responded to that meeting. Now if the BOT approves the compromise worked out between the students and the administration everything should be cool. Particularly since the fee increase of $7.50 a semester will be removed immediately upon acceptance into a conference. How great a deal is that?! Especially from three weeks ago when suddenly everyone learned about the sudden demise of the men's soccer program.

We can only hope that everything goes this smoothly, and even if the soccer team gets reinstated, what ramifications will all of this have on next years team as far as returning players, recruiting, probability of getting new coach in place in time....it will be a crazy season next season if they play!

doesn't the BOT meet today/tonight?
I'm assuming this is on the agenda so maybe news is coming...good or bad.

According to this:http://www.uca.edu/divisions/admin/board/trustees.html They do not meet until the 8th. There is nothing about soccer on the agenda...unless it is hidden in there somewhere?

Considering agendas are usually prepared and distrubuted far before the actual meeting dates, I would assume that it just hasn't been inserted yet. However, it will most definitely be on the actual action agenda presented the day of the meeting. Not to worry folks.

I think since this was done without the knowledge of the Board, this is probably already being dealt with, behind closed doors.

UCAFan2006, you made a great call on Lu opening the door of communication. I think though, the problem is lack of leadership and lack of integrity. This entire situation was handled poorly from the get-go. It has come out that John Thompson not one time contacted any conferences to see what could be done to get this team into one. Instead AFTER he canned the program and realized the trouble he had caused, he tired contacting the MVC. The problem is they had already heard the men's soccer program had been done away with, and they knew that they had been cited as one of the main reasons. They had intentions of extending an invitation until they realized how poorly our athletic department was being run.

Some may see it as a rookie mistake for Thompson, but I see it as a glimpse into how the athletic department is being run. And having friends that are still athletes at UCA, I feel sorry for them and their coaches.

I commend Lu for trying to rectify the situation, but it does not make up for all of the mistakes that lead to this mess.

I've heard on the street Flanders is not coming back, many of the players are transferring, and the home games we had are now lost. If we do have a team, it will be tough going. Almost like starting a new program. But, they will have a bigger budget to work with if they don't get a conference. Spring workouts should be interesting. Who would want to take this job? I doubt an experienced head coach would want to come here after all this mess.

Also, if this whole thing was not about money, why are we considering reinstating men's soccer only after the SGA approved new money? At least that is what it seems like from reading all the posts. Anyone care to clarify?

I'm all about bringing the soccer team back, BUT I think it is BS that they are raising the damn student fee even more to do it!! I mean crap find another place to draw from the well other than at the cost of the students. I mean get the money from 50 fans that show up out there or something but not from the whole student body.

ok thats my rant for the day!

Good article by Robyn Green in the OpEd section of the Echo.

SGA, welcome to politics 101!

If someone sees it on the Echo site before I do, please post the link(s).
I'm showing the last updates on Nov. 29....

Just wondering here -- The day the debacle about the soccer program came out in the Echo, according to one poster on here, the article could be found online by 3:16 p.m. the same day, Wed. Nov. 16.
Now, with the SGA being in the headlines and catching flak about raising student fees, here it is a day later and nothing online about it.
I find this a little disturbing.

If anybody wants a copy of the letter sent to the Board of Trustees, please send me an e-mail at bbarlow2@hotmail.com -

Here is an excerpt:

UCASports.com says "Thompson said the men's soccer team did not receive an invitation to join either the Missouri Valley Conference or Conference USA. As a result, the team would be without a conference again and would have had to remain independent.” IN a November 17, 2006, article in the Log Cabin Democrat, President Lu Hardin is quoted as saying, “…the key to UCA Athletic Director John Thompson’s recommendation to eliminate the men’s soccer program was the lack of a conference for men’s soccer.” That same article states, “Thompson said he has been working to allow the UCA men’s soccer team to participate in the Missouri Valley Conference, which does sponsor men’s soccer, since he became athletic director in May. He said his efforts to persuade the Conference to allow the team to join have been ‘earnest, huge, and daily,’ but have so far proven unsuccessful.” I have enclosed a copy of both the UCASports.com release and the Log Cabin Democrat article with this letter.

Yet, Patty Viverito, the Senior Associate Commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference and conference liaison for soccer matters says, and I quote,

On November 10, 2006, Central Arkansas announced its decision to drop men’s soccer, effective immediately, citing a lack of conference affiliation, specifically, citing the lack of an invitation by the MVC or Conference USA, as their reason for discontinuing the program. In fact, the MVC was actively considering Central Arkansas as an affiliate member based on an e-mail inquiry form the UCA head coach Chad Flanders dated October 20, 2006. At no time prior to the UCA decision to drop men’s soccer did the athletics director or anyone in university administration contact the MVC to apply for affiliate membership or even inquire about that possibility. On November 15, after a firestorm of protest about the decision, the UCA athletics director, without prior notice or expression of interest in affiliate membership with the league office, e-mailed an ultimatum to MVC athletics directors indicating UCA would reinstate the men’s soccer program in the MVC would extend an invitation by December 1, 2006. Coincidently, the league office also received a fax from UCA dated November 15, confirming its decision to drop men’s soccer and providing permission to contact and providing permission to contact UCA men’s soccer student-athletes about possible transfer. (emphasis added).



This issue transcends the elimination of the soccer program and really has uncovered some glaring errors made by John Thompson and Lu Hardin. Thompson's integrity has now come into question and with this evidence, I don't see how Lu can have confidence in him to lead the athletic department in the right direction. Did he honestly think that nobody would check the facts behind this decision???

I played soccer at UCA for four years and it kills me to think it has been reduced to such disgrace. Remember, this program started in 1996 and has since become the most successful UCA athletic program - 3 national top ten finishes in the last 5 years. It has HUGE potential to bring athletic success to the university, considering that there is are only THREE division one soccer programs in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

If the soccer community has their say, Thompson is out of a job, the team is back, and Lu seriously evaluates how these decisions are made.

Thanks for the info...there are only 3 DI programs in those 5 states...WOW

Two really good articles from today's LCD are now in the newsstand.

So Lu seems to think that this will be ok with the BOT, as do I, but this program will not be the same for some time. I mean, more than likely, a very good coach is gone and several great players will be gone, and who would want to come and play soccer here after this little incident and not knowing if the same thing could happen to them! Eventually, however, just like all things it will blow over and the fact that this is one of a few DI men's soccer programs in the region will win out and the men's soccer program will once again become competitive.