Millions of kids play youth sports, dreaming of a coveted spot as an athletic recruit at a top school. According to the NCAA, only about seven percent of the roughly 7.2 million high school student-athletes will move on to play NCAA sports (all divisions) in college. Among Division 1 schools, the Ivy League sponsors more teams than any other conference (34) and boasts the highest participation rates with nearly 14 percent of enrolled students (8,000) competing in an NCAA sport each year.
Wondering how the athletic recruitment process works at top colleges? With a complex system of rules and regulations governing every facet of the NCAA recruitment process (and extra layers of regulations for leagues like the Ivy League), the process of getting there can be confusing and overwhelming. Read on for tips to find your best fit, both athletically and academically.
ATHLETIC RECRUITING: NUTS & BOLTS
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DI AND DIII?
NCAA Division I has the most high-profile college athletics in the country. Schools generally have a larger student body, and they are required to offer at least 14 sports, often anchored by strong revenue-generating football and basketball teams. Within Division I, there are three football subdivisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, and schools that do not sponsor football. While all divisions are intensely competitive and time-consuming, Division I student-athletes have almost year-round commitments that are often compared to having a full-time job. Many student-athletes excel in the classroom in this environment, while others may find they are unable to complete certain majors or graduate on schedule. The Ivy League occupies a unique place in the division, as they do not offer athletic scholarships, unlike almost all the other schools. However, with large endowments and commitments to affordability, the Ivies provide generous need-based aid and meet the full demonstrated need of all who enroll.
Today, more than 440 colleges and universities make up Division III with over 195,000 students competing, the most of the three divisions. As the NCAA DIII website explains, “the division minimizes the conflicts between athletics and academics and helps student athletes progress towards graduation through shorter practicing and playing seasons and regional competition that reduces time away from academic studies.” While they are unable to officially offer athletic scholarships, many athletes receive comprehensive merit scholarships and/or need-based financial aid packages. Out-of-season commitments vary from conference to conference, but overall, they are much less rigorous than Division I requirements, which can potentially allow time for student athletes at the DIII level to pursue a more challenging major or study abroad opportunities. However, the in-season schedule of a Division III athlete is still a massive time commitment.
[NB: In this post, we’re not covering Division II or other leagues, but to learn more, visit NCAA Division II, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the National Junior College Athletic Association.]
WHAT ARE THE TOP ATHLETIC CONFERENCES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES?
THE IVY LEAGUE
The Ivy League formally became an athletic conference in 1954. Its members—Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University—adhere to the longstanding, defining principle that intercollegiate athletics competition should be “kept in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution.” Ivy League athletes compete in NCAA Division 1. Unlike other D1 schools, the Ivy League does not offer athletic scholarships.
PATRIOT LEAGUE
Similarly, the Patriot League, established in 1986, was founded on the principles of admitting student-athletes who are representative of their class. The Patriot League members include American University, the United States Military Academy (West Point), Boston University, Bucknell University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Loyola University Maryland and the United States Naval Academy. Associate members include Fordham University in football, Georgetown University in both football and women’s rowing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in women’s rowing and the University of Richmond in women’s golf. Patriot League athletes also compete in NCAA Division 1. The Patriot League awards athletic scholarships.
NESCAC
Founded in 1971, the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) includes Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Williams College. The Conference was created out of a concern for the direction of intercollegiate athletic programs and remains committed to keeping a proper perspective on the role of sport in higher education. With its colleges sponsoring an average of nearly 30 varsity programs, NESCAC provides more than 7,500 opportunities for participation in intercollegiate competition at the Division 3 level. Like the Ivy League, no athletic scholarships are awarded by NESCAC schools.
UAA
The UAA or University Athletic Association, formed in 1986, is a Division III athletic conference representing eight leading universities: Brandeis, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Emory, NYU, University of Chicago, University of Rochester, and Washington University St. Louis. Today, the UAA sponsors championships in 12 men’s sports and 11 women’s sports. Members of the UAA share the belief that academic excellence and athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive. Like the Ivy and NESCAC leagues, no athletic scholarships are offered.
ACC
The ACC or Atlantic Coast Conference was founded in 1853 and represents a variety of public and private institutions whose purpose is to “enrich the educational missions, especially the undergraduate student experiences, of member universities.” Competing in NCAA Division 1, the current members of the ACC are Boston College, Clemson University, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida State University, North Carolina State University, Syracuse University, the University of Louisville, the University of Miami, the University of North Carolina, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and Wake Forest University.
THE BIG TEN
The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division 1 collegiate athletic conference in the U.S., predominantly comprised of large research institutions. Northwestern University is the exception as the lone, slightly smaller, private university. Though there are currently 14 universities in this conference, the Big Ten maintains its iconic original name. The Big Ten includes the universities of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, as well as Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, Purdue University and Rutgers University.
SEC
Founded in 1933, the Southeastern Conference or SEC is a “pioneer in the integration of higher education and athletic competition” and boasts 14 member universities including Auburn University, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, the University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee, the University of Kentucky, the University of Georgia, the University of Florida, the University of Alabama, the University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, Texas A&M, and the University of Arkansas.
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT THE RECRUITING RULES ARE?
The rules governing recruitment are complex and can change. For the most part, it is the responsibility of coaches to know and follow the rules, but it will make your life easier if you know the basics. Knowing the rules also allows you to avoid potentially uncomfortable or awkward situations, like trying to talk to coaches at tournaments when they are not allowed to talk to you or getting no response when trying to call or email a coach during a “dead period.”
Here are some key rules to keep in mind:
1. ELIGIBILITY: As early as before the start of your first year of high school (or Grade 9 internationally), you can create an account at the NCAA’s Eligibility Center.
2. EMAIL: Prior to September 1 of your junior year, Division I and Division II coaches cannot reply to any of your inquiries. They are only able to send you two pieces of information: a questionnaire (fill it out!) and information about their camps. Note: Division III coaches are not bound by this same rule, and can reply to your emails and send you camp information at any time in your high school career.
3. PHONE CALLS: Calling is even more regulated than emailing. For the most part, Division I and Division II coaches are unable to return your call until July 1 before your senior year. If you call and they pick up the phone before that, you can talk. Division III coaches can call at any time.
4. OFF-CAMPUS CONTACT: In general, Division I, II, and III coaches are not allowed to have contact with you off-campus before July 1 before your senior year. This extends to competitions where they may be evaluating you. For example, if they are watching you at a showcase tournament, they are not allowed to talk to you after the game. Some sports also have “dead periods” when coaches are not even allowed to evaluate you. Summer camps and clinics are the exception to this. College coaches can have recruiting conversations with prospective recruits during camps anytime after June 15 of students’ sophomore year in high school. To learn more, check your individual sport’s rules at the NCAA website.
5. GIFTS: Don’t accept them. Colleges and coaches are not allowed to give you money or gifts to encourage you to pick their school and accepting them will affect your eligibility.
6. PARENTS: Rules that apply to prospective student-athletes apply to their parents, too.
STAY TUNED
The NCAA has a useful resource to get you started: Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete. Our admissions experts at Top Tier advise many student-athletes who are successfully admitted to these top athletic conferences. The earlier you can learn about this process, the better! Work with Top Tier Admissions to navigate your unique college admissions journey and determine if the recruiting pathway makes sense for you. We have limited availability for 9th grade students and are enrolling now — contact us to learn more.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our “Athletic Recruiting and College Admissions” FAQs!
In addition, Maria is proud of her long-term volunteer work with Opera North (Lebanon, NH) in fundraising, marketing and audience engagement. She is an avid masters rower with the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation (Hanover, NH) and also serves as a member of its board of directors.
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2 replies on “Athletic Recruiting and College Admissions”
What about the UAA as a top conference for student-athletes? University of Chicago, Washington University, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Emory…
Hi Chad,
Apologies for the oversight! We’ve added info on the UAA. Thanks!