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Perspective from a DII and DIII coach about recruiting and scholarships at lower levels vs DI. Sheds a light on the stark differences for those who aren't aware. The gap between DII and DI is larger than many understand.
RECRUITING SERIES: Big schools rule the scholarship game
By JEFF BERSCH | Lee Newspapers
WINONA, Minn. — A lot of money. A little money. No money.
When it comes to college athletics, the difference between scholarships is a matter of have and have not in the three divisions of the NCAA.
For example, an athlete playing basketball for a Division I program must receive a full scholarship. At the Division II level, that same player would receive a partial scholarship. In Division III, there are no athletic scholarships.
“A lot of people don’t understand that college athletics are very different,” said Chris Kendall, athletic director at Saint Mary’s University, an NCAA Division III institution. “I really think there are some philosophical differences.”
Kendall said he sees Division I as a high-caliber level in which athletes focus primarily on a single sport. Kendall said he believes the Division III level gives athletes quality competition while also allowing them to focus on things outside of athletics, such as the arts or student government. Division II, he said, falls somewhere in the middle.
“What our coaches try to do is identify our needs and find the best possible players,” said Larry Holstad, athletic director at Winona State University, which competes at the Division II level. “We can get some quality kids overlooked by other people.”
Kendall said that earning a scholarship coming out of high school seems to be a big deal, sometimes the difference between choosing a Division II or III program.
“I think there’s a feel-good piece to getting a scholarship,” Kendall said. “They can tell their family and friends they got a scholarship, even if it’s just $1,500. That may steer someone in that direction.”
Holstad said that sometimes is the case at WSU.
“If it comes down to us against a successful Division III school, if we can give them a little bit of help, they seem to like that concept,” he said.
The concept of a scholarship can be misleading in recruiting. The fact is, most athletes are not getting a great deal of help. Holstad said no athlete at WSU is getting a full scholarship.
In Division I, there are only six sports — football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s gymnastics and women’s tennis — where full scholarships must be awarded.
Other sports are considered “equivalency” sports, where partial scholarships are awarded. For instance, at the Division I level, men’s golf can use up to 4.5 and baseball 11.7 financial aid awards. Those awards are split between those players on scholarship.
According to Jay Larson, assistant director of athletic compliance at the University of Minnesota, it is up to the coach to decide how to use the awards. Scholarships can be anywhere from 1 to 100 percent, although the latter is rare. More often than not, scholarships are divided by books, room and board, tuition and fees or a combination of those items.
Joel Ott, assistant director of compliance at the University of Wisconsin, said the school most often breaks its scholarships down by percentages rather than room and board, tuition and fees or books.
At Wisconsin, the value of a full scholarship for in-state residents is $13,984.32 annually. For Minnesota residents, the value is $15,506.16 and for out-of-state residents the value is $27,984.24.
Larson said a scholarship at Minnesota for the 2005-06 school year is worth roughly $16,500 for residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba, Canada. It’s worth $15,300 for Wisconsin residents; $20,000 for residents of Kansas, Missouri, Michigan and Nebraska; and $28,000 for residents of all other states.
Larson said there are roughly 700 student-athletes at Minnesota; 400 receive some kind of athletic scholarship.
According to Minnesota’s business office, “Money to pay for our scholarships comes primarily from donated money — either annual giving or income from endowments. We also use money that is generated by the department, specifically ticket revenue.”
Things are similar at the Division II level, although no sports require full scholarships. They can be awarded, but even athletes in football and basketball most often will receive only partial scholarships.
Like the Division I level, financial awards have limits per sport. For example, men’s and women’s basketball has 10 scholarships to work with, while football has 36 and softball 7.2. Also, the total number of awards for men’s sports is 60, not including football and basketball.
Holstad said WSU doesn’t use all its allotted scholarships. In football, for example, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference sets a limit at 24 scholarships to help keep a competitive balance in the league............................
Full article here:
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/artic...rts/00lead.txt
RECRUITING SERIES: Big schools rule the scholarship game
By JEFF BERSCH | Lee Newspapers
WINONA, Minn. — A lot of money. A little money. No money.
When it comes to college athletics, the difference between scholarships is a matter of have and have not in the three divisions of the NCAA.
For example, an athlete playing basketball for a Division I program must receive a full scholarship. At the Division II level, that same player would receive a partial scholarship. In Division III, there are no athletic scholarships.
“A lot of people don’t understand that college athletics are very different,” said Chris Kendall, athletic director at Saint Mary’s University, an NCAA Division III institution. “I really think there are some philosophical differences.”
Kendall said he sees Division I as a high-caliber level in which athletes focus primarily on a single sport. Kendall said he believes the Division III level gives athletes quality competition while also allowing them to focus on things outside of athletics, such as the arts or student government. Division II, he said, falls somewhere in the middle.
“What our coaches try to do is identify our needs and find the best possible players,” said Larry Holstad, athletic director at Winona State University, which competes at the Division II level. “We can get some quality kids overlooked by other people.”
Kendall said that earning a scholarship coming out of high school seems to be a big deal, sometimes the difference between choosing a Division II or III program.
“I think there’s a feel-good piece to getting a scholarship,” Kendall said. “They can tell their family and friends they got a scholarship, even if it’s just $1,500. That may steer someone in that direction.”
Holstad said that sometimes is the case at WSU.
“If it comes down to us against a successful Division III school, if we can give them a little bit of help, they seem to like that concept,” he said.
The concept of a scholarship can be misleading in recruiting. The fact is, most athletes are not getting a great deal of help. Holstad said no athlete at WSU is getting a full scholarship.
In Division I, there are only six sports — football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s gymnastics and women’s tennis — where full scholarships must be awarded.
Other sports are considered “equivalency” sports, where partial scholarships are awarded. For instance, at the Division I level, men’s golf can use up to 4.5 and baseball 11.7 financial aid awards. Those awards are split between those players on scholarship.
According to Jay Larson, assistant director of athletic compliance at the University of Minnesota, it is up to the coach to decide how to use the awards. Scholarships can be anywhere from 1 to 100 percent, although the latter is rare. More often than not, scholarships are divided by books, room and board, tuition and fees or a combination of those items.
Joel Ott, assistant director of compliance at the University of Wisconsin, said the school most often breaks its scholarships down by percentages rather than room and board, tuition and fees or books.
At Wisconsin, the value of a full scholarship for in-state residents is $13,984.32 annually. For Minnesota residents, the value is $15,506.16 and for out-of-state residents the value is $27,984.24.
Larson said a scholarship at Minnesota for the 2005-06 school year is worth roughly $16,500 for residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba, Canada. It’s worth $15,300 for Wisconsin residents; $20,000 for residents of Kansas, Missouri, Michigan and Nebraska; and $28,000 for residents of all other states.
Larson said there are roughly 700 student-athletes at Minnesota; 400 receive some kind of athletic scholarship.
According to Minnesota’s business office, “Money to pay for our scholarships comes primarily from donated money — either annual giving or income from endowments. We also use money that is generated by the department, specifically ticket revenue.”
Things are similar at the Division II level, although no sports require full scholarships. They can be awarded, but even athletes in football and basketball most often will receive only partial scholarships.
Like the Division I level, financial awards have limits per sport. For example, men’s and women’s basketball has 10 scholarships to work with, while football has 36 and softball 7.2. Also, the total number of awards for men’s sports is 60, not including football and basketball.
Holstad said WSU doesn’t use all its allotted scholarships. In football, for example, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference sets a limit at 24 scholarships to help keep a competitive balance in the league............................
Full article here:
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/artic...rts/00lead.txt
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