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NCAA Expected To Alter D-III Soccer Final Four Dates
Posted: 8/26/2008
Messiah head women's soccer coach Scott Frey says he has no problems with pushing back the Final Four weekend.

Indianapolis, IN — The NCAA has recommended pushing the Final Four weekend in Division III men’s and women’s soccer back by one week, the Messiah College athletics department learned Tuesday.

A memorandum from the organization reported that the motion to adjust the dates of both the finals and semifinals will take place this season.

“Beginning with the 2008 championships, it has been recommended that the semifinals and finals be played one week later, which means the championships would no longer be conducted during Thanksgiving weekend,” the memorandum states. “The remainder of the schedule would not be impacted and selections for both men’s and women’s championships would still take place on November 9-10.”

The NCAA has contemplated moving the Division III men’s and women’s soccer championship dates for several years, citing the logistical concerns correlated with travel during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The memorandum states that this year’s Final Four weekend will take place Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6 at Macpherson Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina, an alteration from the originally scheduled dates of Friday, Nov. 28 and Saturday, Nov. 29. The change is still pending approval from the administrative committee of the Management Council, but with both NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Committee Chair Heather Benning and NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Committee Chair Joe Hakes signing off on Tuesday’s memorandum, the approval of the motion is a near certainty.

Teams fortunate enough to advance to the national semifinals will now have a full two weeks of preparation time, as the sectional round — commonly referred to as “the Sweet 16” and “Elite 8” — will take place during the weekend of Nov. 22-23.

Falcons’ fans can only hope Tuesday’s announcement will have an effect on each of Messiah’s programs, as the men’s team has appeared in seven of the last eight Final Fours, winning five of the last eight national championships. Messiah’s women’s squad is searching for its fifth consecutive Final Four appearance this fall, while head coach Scott Frey said the change would not bother him or his team one bit.

“I understand that from the NCAA’s perspective, this will make travel much less of a hassle for everyone, and it will be interesting to see how the extra week comes into play from a competitive standpoint,” Frey said. “I think teams will come into (the Final Four) healthier and more prepared. I think with that extra week of practice, you’ll see teams at their best. It will be a change, but is it any worse or better than what we had? Probably not.”