Added Time: Our Monthly College Search Newsletter

September Update:

Back To School Advice In Times of Uncertainty

Boy, watching college sports is weird these days. I mean, sure the USC vs. Michigan Big Ten game was… different… but not as weird (for me anyway) as watching Stanford women’s volleyball play Kentucky on the ACC Network.

The Power 4 schools are trying to negotiate a settlement to address scholarship limits, revenue sharing, back pay for former students, and NIL after a judge rejected their first effort. And that is after the courts ordered the NCAA to stop enforcing ANY rules on transfers and outside payments to student-athletes! So how do you navigate your own college search amidst so much prospective change?

1. You are making a decision on attending a specific college, NOT a conference or NCAA division

The truth is that colleges are going to keep changing conferences and maybe even larger affiliations. There is no guarantee the NCAA exists in its current form forever, but Michigan vs. Ohio State or Middlebury vs. Amherst will be a thing regardless of the group sponsoring championships. Choose a school that is the right fit for you… academically, athletically, financially, socially. You can’t control the vicissitudes of scheduling, but you CAN put yourself in the right spot to elevate your life beyond college!

2. When a coach is telling you they are not going to recruit you, be skeptical of the “why”

College coaches have every right to pick their teams. If they end up without the quality to compete effectively, they get fired and have to move their families. That said, smart coaches understand that their evaluations of prospective student-athletes are superficial and more in the “educated guess” than “knowledgeable prediction” category. If a coach is telling you that they are constrained by “roster limits” or that you are “too late in the cycle” then they are expressing a preference for other candidates. They are NOT implying that you aren’t good enough to play at their level or at another school or at a different point in the recruiting process. No sympathy for “but they should be more honest” arguments, there is NO benefit for coaches telling athletes they aren’t good enough based on minimal evaluations/impressions, kids might believe them even though they are just guessing. Move on and find a coach who wants YOU!

3. NIL value is based on the strength and size of the community you build around yourself

The median NIL earnings for NCAA Division 1 student-athletes were $461. So even most Division 1 athletes aren’t getting rich on NIL payments (you can play with the NCAA’s “NIL Assist” tool to learn more). That said, there are athletes in EVERY sport building their entrepreneurship/business skills while earning money above and beyond their athletic scholarships and financial aid! The more you put into building your brand and strengthening your community, the more valuable your intellectual property becomes! Go get ‘em! As an aside, this applies to men and women equally! You don’t have to be football QB or aspiring model like Livvy Dunne. One of the most successful NIL entrepreneurs is an NAIA volleyball player building “she sheds” on YouTube!

As always, if you are looking for the individualized or institutional consulting help that puts you ahead of your peers, check out our services here! You can make an initial appointment through the link on our homepage! School administrators and counselors access our free resources, appointments and programs for school collaboration here.

For more information, contact Dave Morris, College Counselor & CEO, College Athletic Advisor, [email protected] or phone: (719) 248-7994

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