The SMU men’s soccer game at Tulsa on Oct. 21 has been selected as one of eight nationally televised games scheduled to take place on Friday nights this fall on the Fox Soccer Channel.
“It’s going to be really good for the SMU program because it’s going to call more attention to SMU nationally and it will hopefully bring more fans to the stadium,” said junior defender Mynor Gonzalez.
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the largest coaches’ organization in the United States, has partnered with Fox Soccer Channel and 12 of the top men’s soccer teams in NCAA Division I to broadcast a live “College Soccer Game of the Week.”
The SMU men’s soccer head coach, Schellas Hyndman, also serves as the NSCAA president.
“It’s really exciting knowing that the game will be on TV. It will be helpful to expose SMU players to MLS scouts if they want to take the extra step after college,” said Gonzalez.
Each scheduled game will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first broadcast will take place on Sept. 16 and will spotlight No. 9 UCLA at No. 23 Penn State University in State College, Pa.
The other teams that will be featured throughout the eight-week period include: No. 5 St. John’s at No. 19 Connecticut on Sept. 23; No. 23 Penn State at No. 1 Indiana on Sept. 30; No. 2 Maryland at No. 3 Duke on Oct. 7; No. 17 North Carolina at No. 2 Maryland on Oct. 14; No. 3 Duke at No. 17 North Carolina on Oct. 28; and No. 6 Virginia at No. 10 Wake Forest on Nov. 4. Each scheduled team is accompanied by its NSCAA/Adidas preseason ranking.
Sean Wheelock, a Major League Soccer aficionado, will be the primary announcer for each “College Soccer Game of the Week.” Cultural Videos Communications was hired to handle the live production and the company executive producer, David Bolton, will serve as producer/director.
According to junior midfielder/defender Jordan Mann, this is the first year college soccer will be nationally televised on Fox besides the College Cup that is televised on ESPN.
“It’s cool because soccer is finally getting big in America, especially college soccer. It will be a big promotion for the team because, for as good as we are, the team doesn’t get the support that it deserves,” said Mann.
