royal73

For NESCAC, Centennial Conf., UAA, and Liberty League schools, without checking with each school/coach, are there any guidelines to tell whether a recruit on the list the coach submits to Admissions will have to try out preseason or will be on the roster for the first year at least? Is this just a school-by-school situation or does it vary by league? We're hearing different things from different schools. Any specifics folks can provide about schools in these conferences will be appreciated.

MJP2558

Royal 73. These are all important questions that should have been asked directly to each coach that is recruiting your son. Unsually top recruits of most if not all of team sports are asked to visit a school for an overnight to meet potential teamates, get a feel for the campus life, audit classes, and most important meet with the coach to discuss their specific situation. You might want to look at some previous recruiting posts in this forum it contains some really great information and comments.

EMM1

There are no guarantees in the DIII world. Sure, the coach may promise a recruit a roster spot for the first year, and would probably keep that promise in order to maintain his credibility in the recruiting world generally. But if better players turn up, that spot could be a one year gig at the end of the bench.

Given the structure of DIII sports and recruiting generally, it seems to me that one of the most important questions for the OP to ask is how many players are coming in as formal recruits. I would also ask specifically whether how many other players are being recruited at the relevant position, but you're liable to get an evasive answer.

keylyme

Same in DI. Even with a scholarship, it is a one-year deal.

royal73

MJP and EMM: yes, S has been on overnights and has info about recruit #s and whether coach recruits for specific field positions. We've now decided S probably has to pass up ED at the schools because of the need to compare financial aid packages, but it would seem in general that if a coach is pressuring a player to apply ED, a player who doesn't really need the ED route for academic reasons wouldn't have too much incentive to apply ED and cut off all other schools w/o the guarantee of a roster spot for the first year. I wondered whether there was a prevalent practice among schools in these conferences.

EMM1

I think that you put your finger on it--particularly at highly selective schools, some coaches will insist that players apply ED in order to receive the necessary support from the coach in the admissions process.