Tim Hyland

College football writer, podcaster and bon vivant. Host of The Old College Try Show. Former essayist for College Football News. Occasional radio guest. Etc.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

I mean, I love college football as much as anyone. But I can’t think of a major sports championship event that I look less forward to than ours. The day sucks. The time sucks. It lacks tradition. It lacks gravitas. It lacks ... Saturday.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Been a lot of places. Oregon is great. Wisconsin is great. LSU is great. Ole Miss is great. Penn State is great. But cannot recommend Lehigh-Lafayette more for a true college experience.

[Freddy🇩🇪 @FreddyLA7]

There was an article in the NY Times today about our planned College Football trip. One part I found really interesting was where they said we shouldn’t only visit the big schools. Honestly, we only had big ones on our list so far… Michigan, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Penn State etc.

So what would you say about this and what college is one that you would recommend that has this special charm?

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

This is very deserved. @audsnyder4 does an amazing job. I am a subscriber to her Substack and it’s worth it.

[Darian Somers @StuffSomersSays]

.@audsnyder4 retains her crown as the Penn State fan-favorite beat writer.

https://t.co/xXl6iEHDUn

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

‘Plays’

[Scott McKay @TheHayride]

The reason soccer is "the world's most popular sport" is that it's the cheapest one.

All you need is a ball. That burned out car over there is one goal and that dumpster over there is the other.

You don't need any equipment. You don't even need shoes. Kids with no hands can play soccer.

Most of the best players seem to be from Third World countries where they live in mudhuts and wear Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl Champions shirts every day.

Stop talking to me about what a beautiful, sophisticated game it is. It isn't. Yes, there are plays. There are plays in every sport. But football, basketball and baseball are far, far more sophisticated and require greater skill and athleticism than soccer, and you people sound like idiots trying to claim otherwise.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Look I’m not an expert or anything. I just love the sport of soccer, I’ve played it on and off my entire life, I coached all four of my kids in a mid-level ‘travel’ club that was very much more of a community club — affordable, a way for kids to play the game, make friends, etc. We had some really good teams, some not. I enjoyed coaching all of them. We developed a wonderful community in our tiny town of parents and kids who just loved the game. That in itself is a win.

There has been so much negativity these past couple of days about youth soccer in America, so just want to share a grassroots perspective.

The costs were never an issue for us at our club. I’m talking like less than $200 plus unis for a basic fall season. Several hundred or more if you were on one of our teams playing in big tourneys etc and playing through the whole year of course. But we had a lot of dedicated women and men who had great soccer backgrounds and were happy to dedicate their time free of charge to share their love of the game with a new generation. Our cost structure was intentional — we were committed to our community. 90 percent of our players came from our township of 21,000 people.

A few things I saw over the years:

The truest thing that our culture gets wrong at the younger ages is prioritizing size/strength over skill (or potential skill) or soccer acumen (or potential acumen). Because from U8 on all I saw was a desire to build a team to win. Play long ball, put the huge kid at center back, whatever. It was rare to see a coach think about a long term development plan that didn’t focus on winning meaningless games when kids are 7. I fell into this trap. When you are in it of course you care about that, but it’s irrelevant.

There were in my 10 years of involvement with our club only two coaches who took the long term approach. It felt unconventional, but like a long term investment, their efforts paid off. They built teams who over the years became something special. They developed technically, and tactically. They could all see the entire game in front of them. They won big tournaments and competed for state titles at U13 with kids who at U8 other coaches wouldn’t have put on the field or even taken on their team. One of these coaches, my friend Brent, who coached both of my daughters, has sadly passed. He was a wonderful coach to every kid who played for him, no matter their abilities. The soccer world could use more Brents.

So much focus on the idea of chasing this fabled ‘college scholarship’ in their future. Ugh.

There is a lot wrong with the way we handle youth soccer. The money is a joke. But there’s also a lot of good in there, and a lot of people who put in so many hours of their time, and deal with a lot of stress, to put a team on the field each week AND make sure those kids walk away still loving the sport. Some of my fondest memories are my days seeing my players, win or lose, walk off the field having learned something, gained something, or made a memory.

We can do better but we aren’t doing terribly either. The growth of the game from when I first kicked a ball playing CYO in Cleveland, a soccer backwater, more than 40 years ago is a testament to that. I have two boys and two girls. The growth in participation for girls between when my older started and what we see now in our club, and other clubs, is truly amazing.

Let us not forget that winning the World Cup is really, really difficult. It’s not like half the planet has won the thing. The overreaction to our loss betrays a misunderstanding of our current place in this sport.

This was an amazing month watching the USMNT. This game is a wonderful game, truly The Beautiful Game. Let’s appreciate the month we had and think about how we can do better — for our next generation of players — together.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

This kinda feels like Alabama playing a night game at Kinnick for the first time.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

In general, in the soccer community, we honestly don’t care about your insipid thoughts.

[Michael Kasper @KasperStats]

In general, in all American sports, we value: grit and toughness, clear and fair rules, and good sportsmanship.

The flopping and embellishing part of soccer goes against all 3 of those. The draconian nature of red cards, and the arbitrary nature of officiating, contradicts #2.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

When people make these unfailingly stupid and Ill-informed ‘why soccer hasn’t taken off in America’ posts, I ask myself, with a heavy heart and the deepest of sincerity:

How do we manage, each and every day, to even survive living among people who are so unapologetically dim?

[matt eichinger @mjeichinger]

“Why hasn’t soccer taken off more in America?” As a casual fan, I present to you exhibit A. Balogun has been intentionally held, kicked, fouled harder than this the entire game. Then this no intent, accidental contact foul draws red. Stupid sport can’t get out of its own way.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Annapolis, Maryland.

[Shaun 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇸 @shaunvlog_]

Let’s talk 4th of July 👀🇺🇸 I am booked on a flight home today but how could I miss the 4th during the 250 year celebrations. So if I came back, where would I go?

[Jill Tucker @jilltucker]

If you ever doubt how magical this world is, one day you will decide to go to a World Cup watch party in Oakland that you found online to root for a country where you spent two years trying to coax English out of the mouths of Cape Verdean teenagers. 1/7

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

@KyleFisher45 That is awesome Kyle.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

The hydration breaks may actually be worse than Touchdown/Commercial/Kickoff/Commercial.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

A reminder that we live among the dim.

[CJ Gillman @CoachGilly6]

This is it, this is why I can’t watch.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

College football in America is amazing. Great places/stadiums/people/towns/rivalries/traditions.

Soccer in Europe is amazing. Great places/people/towns/rivalries/traditions.

These sports go far beyond fandom; it’s tribalism, it’s ingrained. We have an awful lot in common.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Our friend @FreddyLA7 has single-handedly elevated discourse on this app; I have seen two references to Alexis de Toqueville just this morning regarding his journey through the States. Kudos @AndyStaples

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

@PSULions09 You will love it. Incredible tailgating, great people, and if you get a night game, it’s simply amazing.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Will say again: have never been less enthusiastic or optimistic about a USMNT squad ahead of a World Cup in my life.

[Felipe Cárdenas @FelipeCar]

Mauricio Pochettino suggests to @HenryBushnell that Gio Reyna could play as a defensive midfielder, along with Roldan, Berhalter, McKennie and Tillman.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Have never felt less enthusiastic or optimistic about a USMNT squad ahead of a World Cup.

[herculez gomez @herculezg]

According to The Guardian, this is Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-man roster for the #USMNT 2026 World Cup.

Alejandro Zendejas is IN, but Tanner Tessman is OUT.

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

A few factors here:

1. Premier League + Champions League still in season. Soccer fans focused there.

2. FIFA has approached this incredibly cynically.

3. IMHO, not a lot of optimism about this USMNT squad.

[Chris Childers @ChildersRadio]

Is it me or is there just zero buzz for the World Cup? There were many that thought hosting in 2026 was going to create incredible momentum for soccer in the United States moving forward. It’s like only a few weeks away and I feel like absolutely nobody cares. #fifa #worldcup

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Spent nine of the best professional years of my life at Lehigh. It’s a wonderful place. And everyone who loves college football should see a Lehigh-Lafayette game. @CollegeGameDay needs to go there someday.

[Jon Gruden @BarstoolGruden]

We got a box here from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and it belongs to one half of the longest rivalry in college football!

It's the Lehigh Mountain Hawks! What a great school with rich tradition and history!

Thank you Coach Nagy and @LehighFootball keep pounding the rock!!

[Tim Hyland @IntelligentCFB]

Brilliant idea.

[Adam Rittenberg @ESPNRittenberg]

Northwestern's student section @NewRyanField is being modeled after the standing supporters sections in European soccer. Includes room for 2,000 behind the South end zone. Section is being built at 33 degrees (65% slope) with railings in place and seating for those who need them.