The Long Odds Against American Male Soccer Players

A little less than a year ago, ESPN was one of the media outlets that picked up our study about the scholarship disparities that exist in gender symmetric sports. And today, ESPN.com, in a story about the number of scholarships available in college soccer, included this important bit of perspective straight out of our study:

A study published in July 2009 by College Sports Council shows that men’s soccer remains among the most difficult sports in which to earn a scholarship. There is an average of one Division I scholarship available for every 196 high school soccer players. Only men’s track and men’s volleyball faced longer odds. Factor in that many elite, college-bound players who bypass high school to focus on club soccer, then the ratio becomes even greater for the high school soccer player.

For more about how Title IX is strangling the growth of Men’s college soccer, click here.