The Ags played the Bruins last fall in College Station. Anyone know if UCLA is on our schedule this fall?

Has any college player left school early to turn pro? I'm sure it's happened but I don't recall it. Good news for us obviously as Pugh is a great player and we won't have to face her now in the future.

Not sure about players leaving school early but Lindsey Horan bypassed playing for UNC to sign with PSG.

I guess bypassing college to make 35k a year is a good thing. Granted Pugh will make much more by the time she is done.

Glad the Ags won't have to play her

wangus12 said:

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I guess bypassing college to make 35k a year is a good thing. Granted Pugh will make much more by the time she is done.

Glad the Ags won't have to play her

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She'll make much more than that. She's a regular starter on the USWNT, who are paid directly by US Soccer. Somewhere in the low six figures.

I'm normally strongly against players skipping college for the pros, but in this case, it seems to be the right decision. After waiting to see the outcome and terms of the CBA, Pugh (and her advisers) simply saw the fact of the matter, which is the downside of playing college soccer is much greater than the upside.

As a WNT player she will earn upwards of $200k annually, and her endorsements are likely to be significant. According to almost all reports she has offers from both Adidas and Nike. It is most likely Nike wins that battle without too much effort since they are the official provider for US Soccer and I believe Pugh's Colorado club is Nike-sponsored. Not that the club affiliation is a decider, just that this kid has been in Nike her entire life.

Will be interesting to see if she settles in the NWSL or goes to Europe.My bet is Europe as she doesn't seem keen for NWSL unless she is in Portland, which would take a lot of maneuvering.

Hopefully Pugh is smart enough to put most of the endorsement money away in a brokerage and let it grow for the next 50 years. She'll be a multi-multi-millionaire.

I don't think they've announced the schedule yet.

HiddenAg2 said:

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Has any college player left school early to turn pro? I'm sure it's happened but I don't recall it. Good news for us obviously as Pugh is a great player and we won't have to face her now in the future.

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On the men's side, lots. Stu Holden is the first that comes to mind.

On the men's side more and more never begin the college process - Christian Pulisic, Paxton Pomykal, Weston McKinnie, Haji Wright, Nick Taitague, Brandon Austin, Jonathan Esparza, Kyle Gruno, Angel Uribe, Paolo Belloni, Brian Perez, Jonathan Gonzalez, CJ Dos Santos, Sergino Dest, Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen, Ian Hoffman, Matko Miljevic, Konrad De La Fuente, Timothy Weah, Daniel Barbir, Marco Farfan, and Nelson Hunsinger are som of the YNT rostered players who probably won't go to college any time soon.

On the mens side high level players going to college has been the exception more than the rule for quite a while now. Altidore, Bradley, Beasley, Donovan, etc., never went to college.

not a lot of scholarships on the men's side either while women's soccer is sponsored for title ix compliance - maybe with the eventual decline of football due to concussion protocol we will see the men's side grow

Obviously I meant on the women's side. I know the men's side has kids go pro early all the time.

I think she can make a lot of money in endorsements. The way she burst on the national scene last year she may become almost as well known as Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd.

I'm not sure A&M is getting that return game with UCLA. Certainly would've been nice to have a football/soccer combo weekend in LA

I don't think we have a home game against UCLA this year. Rumor is a different PAC 12 team

I thought our home game against UCLA was the reciprocal for the trip to UCLA 4 years ago?

That game was an exhibition. I wasn't sure that counted. Seems like a lame deal for them.