Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics Theses
Document Type
Thesis or dissertation
Date of this Version
5-12-2020
Abstract
In June 2019, the Big Ten Conference announced that it would be sponsoring a proposal in the NCAA’s 2019-20 legislative cycle to implement a two-semester playing season for Division I Men’s Soccer called the 21st Century Model. If the new legislation were to pass, the Ivy League will need to decide how it will adjust its own seasonal structure to adapt to the new legislation while remaining faithful to its guiding principles.
This capstone sets out to create a 21st Century Ivy League Model for men’s soccer. Using the proposed calendar included within the NCAA legislation as a starting point, this capstone worked to refine it to reflect the Founding Principles of Ivy League Athletics, namely that “academics and the personal growth of the students are of paramount importance” and that all student-athletes “shall be held to the same academic standards of the student body.”
The capstone uses a thorough review of the literature surrounding the various challenges individuals encounter during their student-athlete experience, quantitative data from each of the current Ivy League men’s soccer program calendars, and a qualitative student athlete survey to drive the process of creating a theoretical two-semester model for the Ivy League’s consideration.
Keywords
21st Century Model, NCAA men’s soccer, college soccer, Ivy League soccer, match congestion, injury risk, time demands
Date Posted: 05 February 2021
Comments
Submitted to the Program of Organizational Dynamics, College of Liberal and Professional Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania
Advisor: John Eldred