College level athlete recruiting is big business – especially at NCAA Division I and II schools. Colleges in the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) offer athletic scholarships to high school students that meet the NCAA minimum academic requirements. In fact, there are a total of 23,157 football scholarships alone offered at NCAA colleges and universities. According to the National College Scouting Association (NCSA) there are over $1 billion in sports scholarships available.
While the number of scholarships offered sounds impressive, the NCAA estimates that only six percent of student athletes will compete at the college level. Another scenario is offered: In high school basketball there are roughly 500,000 players every year, 157,000 of those players are seniors. Colleges have 4,500 freshman positions to be filled, which means that only three percent of the seniors will end up playing basketball in college. Clearly, the competition to play a sport at the college level is keen, particularly when a scholarship is involved.
The process of being recruited by a college to play a particular sport on a scholarship is complicated and starts no later than the junior year for a high school student who is seriously interested in playing. The NCAA has minimal SAT score requirements. Division II schools have a set minimum score requirement. Division I schools, on the other hand, use a sliding scale of test scores for initial eligibility.
Qualifying for a scholarship under new federal rules has changed and many families will find that they have to contribute more of their income to qualify for student aid. Federal guidelines, including Title IX, must be followed in order for colleges to continue receiving federal subsidies.
Students need to understand that while recruiting activity begins well before a student’s senior year, the actual recruiting of student athletes by colleges is governed by the NCAA and there are strict rules for scouts and coaches contact with potential recruits.