College basketball has March Madness, college football has the Bowl Championship Series and college soccer has the College Cup.
This year the College Cup comes to Columbus.
In September 2000, the NCAA made the announcement that Columbus Crew Stadium would host the 2001 College Cup.
The event will be co-hosted by the Columbus Crew and Ohio State and it marks the first time that the Division I championship will be held in Ohio.
The championships will consist of two national semifinal matches on Dec. 14 and the national title game Dec. 16.
“This is truly exciting for The Columbus Crew, Columbus Crew Stadium, Ohio State, the city of Columbus and the state of Ohio,” said Jim Smith, Columbus Crew general manager. “We are thrilled that the best college soccer players in the country will be showcasing their talents at Columbus Crew Stadium and in central Ohio.”
Columbus Crew Stadium, the first major-league stadium built specifically for soccer in the United States, has a capacity of 22,555. The Columbus Crew led Major League Soccer in attendance in 1999, averaging 17,696 fans per game. It was the site of the 2000 MLS All-Star Game and U.S. national team qualifying matches.
“Bringing these championships to Crew Stadium solidifies its image as the premier soccer venue in the nation,” Smith said.
“Crew Stadium is the ideal venue for the championships,” said John Bluem, OSU men’s soccer coach. “I have attended the championships in the past and I think this will be one of the best final fours ever. The fact that the Columbus Crew is serving as a co-host means no stone will be left unturned in either the planning or the execution of the event.”
Since the championships are held in December the biggest concern is the weather.
“The weather was a concern of the committee,” Bluem said. “We are confident that the weather will cooperate. If we can get a nice day in the high 30s or low 40s it will be perfect.”
The NCAA Tournament consists of 48 teams, 20 of the teams are coming from automatic bids. OSU made the tournament with an at-large bid. The Buckeyes lost in the first round to American University.
“To host the national championship is a great thing for our program,” Bluem said. “It is positive for our program because recruits will now see that Ohio State is consistently making the NCAA Tournament. It also shows that we are a forward thinking program that can grow by hosting the national championships.”
The 2001 College Cup was originally scheduled to be played in Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., but that site had difficulties drawing soccer crowds and the facility was too big, Bluem said.
“The NCAA wanted to get out of the contract with Ericsson Stadium and they needed a host site for 2001,” Bluem said. “We had already bid for the 2003 College Cup, so the NCAA asked us if we would consider hosting this year.”
In the past the College Cup has drawn 10,000 to 12,000 people to each session.
“We think we will do better than that,” Bluem said.
The 2002 College Cup will take place in Dallas and will return to Columbus in 2003.
