Increased competition

Most of us reading this blog are MLS fans - at least that's my assumption. Probably, our preoccupation in MLS ranges from a strong interest to an outright passion.

We're getting to the time of year, though, where our zeal will be tested. College football gets underway this weekend.

Now, I won't lie to you and tell you that part of my mind on Saturday won't be at the Coliseum, where USC will kick the crap out of Idaho. Still, my support for USC won't keep me from HDC - even if it is Real Salt Lake paying a visit - but it might keep some away.

Really, it's impossible to know how many fans will not be in attendance across MLS stadiums this weekend because USC or Rice or Ohio State or some other college football team will be playing this weekend.

MLS brass has said in the past that their attendance has traditionally remained strong in the fall, when college football and the NFL entices millions to drop money on their sport. Still, those sports inspire their own unique brand of passion and will detract attention from MLS; just how much remains to be seen.

Here's a short list of college football games that will compete directly with MLS games this weekend.

Saturday
Galaxy-RSL: USC-Idaho
Dynamo-Kansas City: Rice-Nicholls State

Sunday
Crew-Rapids: Ohio State-Youngstown State (9/1)

Also, SMU hosts Texas Tech on Monday as FC Dallas plays DC United on Saturday. And the Texas Longhorns play Saturday as well which might detract from FC Dallas and Houston home games. This list also doesn't include smaller schools and smaller divisions and I may have left out other schools as well.

Anyway, There are probably some MLS fans who couldn't care less about the pointy kind of football. And there are probably some MLS fans who are far more passionate about college football than MLS. Again, it's pretty much impossible to know that.

In terms of coverage, MLS may get bumped by some outlets by college football. Instead of a front-page sports story, MLS may be somewhere on page 6 or 8, if it's not there already.

I wanted to get some input from our readers.

Will the allure of the Pac-10/Big Ten/SEC/etc. be enough to keep you away from MLS, either by not attending a match or by not watching a match? How do you think college football affects Major League Soccer?