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Major League Soccer is on track to open his eligibility requirements for the SuperDraft (his annual college draft), sources say Athletics. The new format is still at the “proposal” stage, according to a presentation shown to first-team football chiefs by Athletics. The 2024 SuperDraft is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, December 19 at 3:00 PM ET.
The proposed changes would allow any player who is a sophomore or higher to enter the SuperDraft. College players who are on a team list of domestic players will still not be eligible to receive. The changes may be announced at the end of October.
An MLS spokesman declined to comment on the report.
In years past, players did not need to “declare” for the SuperDraft. Instead, the league removed an eligible player roster that consisted mostly of college seniors who had exhausted their college eligibility. Underclassmen may only be eligible through the MLS Generation Adidas (GA) program, exclusively for the top players in the country, provided that at least one MLS team fully commits to selecting the player before the process begins. the draft.
Under the new system, the GA distinction can still be earned by any college player (including freshmen) provided at least one team commits to drafting him if he is available at the time of their first pick. That process will go unchanged, with the main difference between these players and other underclassmen entering the pool being the guarantee of a contract before the draft.
Of course, the plan requires some designation for underclassmen who are willing to give up their remaining college eligibility. No player can be drafted twice, unlike in Major League Baseball. All selected players will have their SuperDraft priority rights held by the selecting club until December 31 of what would be the second season following their draft.
Beyond that two-year window, a player’s rights will depend on whether or not the selection team offers an MLS contract. If a drafted player declines a full MLS contract, that team will continue to have the right of first refusal moving forward; if another MLS team wants to sign them three years after they are drafted, they will have to earn those rights. If a player is not offered an MLS contract and their SuperDraft priority rights expire after two years, however, any interested MLS club will file a disclosure claim before adding them to their roster.
An MLS Next Pro contract offer does not affect how player rights are determined. Only an MLS contract would allow a team to retain the right of first refusal instead of forfeiting that player’s rights after their SuperDraft priority window.
In the event that a student in the class is not selected, they will be able to return to the school (provided they maintain their collegiate eligibility) and re-enter the pool a year later.
One group of players whose rights may be in a complicated state of oblivion are those who are on a team’s home roster throughout college, although their situations remain consistent with previous seasons. As long as a player remains on that list, he will not be allowed to enter the SuperDraft. A source showed what those players could face using a real-life example of what could happen under this framework, using a fake name and a different team to protect the player’s privacy.
Bob Roberts is a junior and perhaps the NCAA’s best right guard, a certain MAC Hermann Trophy finalist. Prior to college, Roberts was also part of San Diego FC’s academy, and the club kept Roberts on their senior roster. As a result, Roberts has been unable to leave school after his sophomore and junior seasons, as his MLS future rests solely with San Diego. Having already played three years and earned his reputation as one of the best college players in the country, however, he’s ready to move on to the next level.
However, San Diego has a deep group of right tackles and isn’t sold on Roberts’ post-college potential, opting not to offer him an in-house deal before his senior season. If Roberts is determined to go pro after his junior season, then he can go to the USL for a year to be eligible for the following SuperDraft, sign with a Next Pro team, and hope that any team interested MLS is willing to trade something in San Diego for his rights, or explore his options abroad.
If Roberts returned to school and San Diego still didn’t offer him an in-house deal by Dec. 1, he could enter the SuperDraft after his senior year. Any MLS team, including San Diego, can pick him up. The drafting team would again have their priority SuperDraft rights for two full years. If he didn’t sign with the select team, his rights would be determined by whether or not he received an MLS contract offer.
The conference given to athletic directors also clarified the increasingly important process of how a player can maintain his college eligibility. It is a strict criteria set by the NCAA. Players are not allowed to miss a single class for a tryout or practice with a marching team. They would not be allowed to play a competitive game or scrimmage with a professional team. Their trial can only last beyond a 48-hour window if the player self-funds all associated costs, including return shipping.
In short, it’s unlikely that a player would declare for the draft if they weren’t willing to take on an MLS Next Pro contract. In last year’s SuperDraft, only 17 picks were signed to full MLS deals before the start of the season, topped by 11 GA players who were guaranteed contracts with the league. That’s less than half of the 35 who signed MLS Next Pro contracts, with three players of those 35 earning MLS contracts in the middle of the season.
Hopefully this will also eliminate one of SuperDraft’s poorer elements in terms of optics. In 2023, teams opted to move instead of draft eligible players on five occasions. That’s down from 10 in the 2022 SuperDraft — an event that saw the future St. Louis quarterback. Louis City, Kyle Hiebert, unselected.
However, the passing of the pick sent a message that teams would rather start their post-draft plans sooner than give every player left in the pool a potential pro opportunity. If teams continue to switch to the new format, it is indicative of a failure on the part of the team in terms of scouting and preparation.
Relaxing the age restrictions should help give the SuperDraft a significant infusion as the quality of each year’s pool should theoretically improve. At the same time, these new guidelines may also make the college route a more attractive option for players knowing they can go pro after two collegiate seasons regardless of the GA process.
(Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports)
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