Maryland men’s soccer senior William Kulvik didn’t originally know much about collegiate soccer.

The Oslo, Norway, native played for Norwegian club Stabaek IF during his youth. Kulvik also represented Norway at the U-17 level to become a promising academy product near the start of a professional career.

But the defender suffered from torn ligaments and a fracture in his foot, requiring surgery that kept him sidelined for about nine months. He could have waited patiently for his return in Norway, but another option appeared.

Kulvik wanted to earn a degree, and saw college soccer as a way to do so.

“I decided to look into the opportunity to get an education while still playing,” Kulvik said. “I think it was a given for me to go, so I could recover and be healthy while I came here.”

Some players seek a collegiate career as an opportunity to learn while continuing to play the game they love, while others pursue the professional opportunities that can arise after playing in the NCAA.

The growth of international influence in collegiate soccer is changing how Division I programs construct their rosters and could lead to a switch in the way the college soccer season is scheduled entirely.

Maryland’s 2006 roster included just one international player, who was from Canada.

But the Terps have seen a shift. Maryland’s 2024 roster spanned five continents with 12 international players.

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College soccer “flies under the radar” in Europe, Kulvik said. Many players take the route he did and play at clubs for youth sides as they make their ascent toward a first team. When there isn’t an opportunity to begin a professional career, players sometimes begin looking at college programs.

Recruiting agencies vet players to determine their academic eligibility and ask athletes their preferred destination. Coaches also scout players before deciding to offer.

Coaches get sent highlight tapes of players that fit their program before approaching certain athletes. Staff will also travel to see certain prospects. Cirovski said Maryland watched about 80 percent of its international players in person.

“It’s a little bit like blind dating sometimes,” Cirovski said.

Kulvik used an agency during his recruitment. He said he initially thought he would end up in Florida because he knew friends there, but Cirovski was one of the first coaches to contact Kulvik and convinced him to join the Terps.

The defender noted that the facilities set the collegiate game apart from clubs abroad, and he felt shocked when he arrived at Maryland for the first time. Collegiate play rivals his experiences in Norway, and Kulvik sometimes considered it better than when he played for European academies, he said.

“College soccer is growing. And soccer is growing, in general, in the U.S.,” Kulvik said. “I think more people should be looking into the opportunity to play and get an education at the same time.”

The Terps aren’t the only team tapping into the international market for recruitment. More than 26 percent of Division I soccer players are not from North America this season, according to a Diamondback analysis. Europe accounts for almost 20 percent of all players — more than 1,200 athletes — with most coming from England.

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An increase of international players could force the college soccer calendar to adjust. The current season begins at the end of August, with games spanning through the fall and winter before the national championship in December. Teams play at least once a week, often playing two matches in the same week.

Professional leagues in the United States, such as Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League, spread their seasons across the summer months. Cirovski said some domestic players skip playing in college to pursue a professional career in the American divisions, which has led to an influx of international players on college rosters with fewer spots filled by American prospects.

But players from overseas, such as Kulvik, are used to playing prolonged seasons that span close to nine months, similar to the MLS and USL campaigns.

Kulvik said when a player gets hurt in college, they’ll miss multiple games as collegiate teams’ rigorous schedules sometimes result in two matches a week. Midfielder Leon Koehl and forward Luke van Heukelum missed four and 10, respectively, in Maryland’s 2024 campaign.

But European teams primarily play once each weekend, which means a player could get injured and still play in the next match due to more time for rest between games in Europe.

Though many athletes look to college soccer, most still want to play professionally. A change in the college soccer season could allow both domestic and international players to represent college programs and continue on at professional clubs.

“I remain steadfast in my belief that college soccer has to play over a two-semester season with a game a week if we want to not only survive in this new college landscape but also thrive,” Cirovski said.

Data reporter Theodore Rose contributed to this report.