The LSU men’s club soccer team is preparing for a title run.
The team was founded in November 1964 and has been active since.
“We’re the closest thing LSU has to an NCAA men’s soccer program,” said junior defender Jacob Vinson, president of LSU men’s club soccer team. “This past fall semester, me and my officers lead our team to National Championship contingency. We were maybe two or three pieces away from winning it all.”
The team travels both in state and out of state for games, to locations including cities like Foley, Alabama; Lubbock, Texas; and local cities like Lafayette, New Orleans and Lake Charles.
The team is a member of the Collegiate Soccer League of Louisiana and plays Tulane, McNeese, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana Tech and Xavier once each season.
Members of the team drive to their away games and are very grateful for the amount of support and funding the LSU UREC provides for them.
“We have dues every year.” Vinson said. “It pays for travel, any kind of jerseys that we need, socks, shorts and entry fees for tournaments. The UREC does help a lot. They have SCAC funding, so we can apply for that if we need an extended travel or if we need to stay a night at a hotel.”
The team also has access to the Organizational Relief Fund through LSU, which is a source of supplemental funding provided by LSU Student Government. ORF provides travel funds to undergraduates as individuals or members of registered student organizations representing LSU at professional conferences and tournaments.
During the fall semester, the team competes against schools in its league and has a shot at the league Championship game and National Championship tournament. During the spring semester, the team plays friendlies to stay in shape and keep the momentum from the previous semester going.
“ULL is our biggest rival and toughest competitor,” said Michael Buisson, treasurer of the club team. “We played ULL in the league championship game and tied. That was the only game we tied that season. We won all of our other games.”
The team trains each Monday and Wednesday for two hours, polishing its technical skill work, possession and scrimmaging.
“We jump in and do drills that hone our skills getting ready for games,” Vinson said. “We’re really trying to just get things ready, [and] get everybody up to game speed because we’ve only been practicing for about three weeks and just really prepare for that type of [competition].”
Last semester, the team was young and figuring out how to mold, but Vinson is convinced this semester’s team has a strong grip.
“I’m very happy to say that we don’t have many slackers on this year’s team,” Vinson said. “I’m not expecting perfection; I never will. I’ve never been a guy that’s going to come out here [to practice] and yell. I’m expecting these guys to come out and give me everything they’ve got for two hours and come to the games and lay it all out on the line.”
With a larger roster and dedicated players, the team is aiming for the National Championship tournament again and eager to win it all.
“My first year here, we barely had people showing up to practice,” Buisson said. “Now, we have schedules of who’s playing and have 34 or 35 players on the team. There’s a lot more dedication to the team.”
Patrick Betts, vice president of the team, has been on the team the longest and displays the most leadership, Buisson said.
Vinson and Buisson played soccer together at St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles. Vinson was on the 2011, 2012 and 2013 state championship teams and Buisson was on the 2012 and 2013 state championship teams.
Vinson began playing for LSU’s team his sophomore year. In the spring of 2016, he was nominated by members of the team, ran for president and was elected by giving a speech about why he wanted to be president.
“I’ve been playing since I was four,” Vinson, who is a Moss Bluff native said. “I played recreational for a lot of my life and then started playing club. Soccer is my passion and has been since I was four years old.”
Buisson started playing on LSU’s team his freshman year and played club soccer for Calcasieu Eagles Club Soccer team in eighth grade.
“I didn’t hear about the tryouts for the LSU club team until last minute,” Buisson said. “I decided to try out and just loved it.”
“We’re really out here to prove, maybe not to everyone else, but to ourselves,” Vinson said, “that we’re good enough to do whatever it takes to win a National Championship. That’s really our end goal out here.”

Gallery • 5 Photos

Ryan McCarble

LSU business junior Jacob Vinson watches as kinesiology sophomore Michael Buisson shoots the ball on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017 at the LSU UREC Field Complex.