NMSU will have a new men’s soccer team in Fall 2020

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) – In the fall of 2020 NMSU will have a self-funded men’s soccer team. It will be the first of its kind program in the United States.
University Degrees Abroad also known as the UDA is partnering with NMSU to bring a men’s soccer team to the campus.

“There’s so much talent down here that goes unserved without the program at the university,” said Will Hanson a Senior at Mayfield High School. “So this is a good step towards it, still giving the players the opportunity to study at a university level.”
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UDA’s philosophy is changing lives through education. They hope to draw students to NMSU not only to play soccer but to get a degree as well. It is catching the attention of high school seniors from around the country.
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“I want to do sports medicine to become an athletic trainer something so that if I don’t go anywhere in soccer, like the pros then I’d like to still be around sports and stuff like that,” said Maximillian Patton a High School Senior Las Vegas Nevada.
Recruiters from UDA were at NMSU on Saturday recruiting players for the fall of 2020 and they say it will be a year-round program.

“We're not governed by the NCAA so we can have an extended season,” said Jeff Thompson the National Director for UDA. “Really, we play from August through May so it’s all about development and giving all the players an opportunity to play.”
UDA has a program already at the University of Chester in England. UDA is working with NMSU to make it so that players from NMSU can transfer to Chester and vice versa.

UDA is recruiting locally, nationally and internationally for players. They said NMSU was the perfect choice for the first program in America do to the large soccer community, the need for a university team and the beautiful weather year-round.

For more upcoming training sessions you can visit https://www.udaus.org/.

Courtesy of KTSM. 

​by: Shelby Kapp