Fall 2026 Update:

Lies, Statistics & Stress In The Recruiting Process

As a college coach, my favorite statistic was “the 5%,” NCAA data reveals that less than 5% of high school athletes go on to play at the varsity level in college. The best part of this statistic is that it is absolutely accurate. There is not any fuzzy math. You play intercollegiate sports, you’re in that “top 5%.” What the NCAA and coaches are NOT going to share with you is the context around that 5%. The overwhelming majority of that 95% is made up of students who ultimately choose not to continue playing their sport in college. Any high school athlete (almost any?) who wants to play at the varsity level can find a spot somewhere if that’s their priority, so why do most students simply… not? Those students fall into three broad groups:

1. Many prep athletes are ready for the next chapter in their lives – without sports. Many have not had an off season since they were in elementary school and the transition to college is a great moment to reset their identity to remove “varsity athlete” as a significant part.

2. Other prep athletes get wildly inaccurate, outdated, or irrelevant information about what it means to be a college athlete and make decisions based on bad information. They do this without exploring what ACTUALLY participating as a varsity athlete might look like in their individual sport/situation. They plan without meaningful exposure to college sports outside of Power 4 football or March Madness on television. And they never realize that they could leverage their athletic participation to elevate their college search just by investigating what is possible!

3. The final group is made up of students who DO aspire to play their sport in college but never connect with the right opportunity. They may listen to terrible advice like, “if you were good enough a coach would find you.” They may have trusted a local coach or club with limited time, attention and knowledge to “take care of the recruiting process” for them. They might have paid for a low value “recruiting service” that provided distraction and churn but no connection to the colleges they aspire to attending. They may have believed, incorrectly, they were “too late” to engage in the recruiting process. Even if none of the advice offered was accurate, the loss of opportunity is real.

As an advisor, students in the latter two groups benefit significantly from collaborating with expert advisors who empower students in their college searches! For students who are not sure about playing beyond high school; reaching out and connecting with college coaches is the best way to discover what varsity athletics would be like FOR THEM. College sports is an incredibly diverse world. Experiences are very different across programs, divisions and geography in ways that are not commonly understood by students, parents and prep sports community members. Even if a student ultimately decides playing varsity sports isn’t for them, developing a concrete and detailed understanding of options is an invaluable advantage in the college search that peers simply cannot access.

Even for students who are NOT planning on continuing with their sport, any advisor would encourage a student spending 15 hours a week on biology to leverage that in their college search whether they were planning on majoring in biology or not! It shows significant interest and commitment outside of class, the desire to gain expertise outside the classroom, student initiative, etc. Becoming one of your school’s top athletes (i.e. making varsity) in a sport reveals similar traits and provides a similar benefit to college prospects. Whether a student ends up in the 5% or not, being empowered to make the decision with accurate information and an understanding of options is what gives students the best chance for success as they continue their education!

As always, if you are interested in learning more about individualized or institutional consulting to elevate your college search, 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, dave@collegeathleticadvisor.com or phone: (719) 248-7994

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