Men’s college soccer has never been more driven by parity than it is right now.

The days of only a couple programs hogging the spotlight certainly appears to be over for good. Just since 2014, we’ve seen UMBC, Providence, Denver and Syracuse make respective College Cup debuts. That doesn’t happen 10 years ago. It’s a sign that more programs than ever are rising to the challenge of both domestic and foreign recruiting and putting together legit national title contenders from outside the traditional halls of power.

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These five programs can relate.

What follows is a look inside five rising programs that could shift the balance in 2017. With the men’s season on our doorstep, keep an eye peeled on each.