Hawkeye
05-05-2008, 07:17 AM
I am constantly talking to talented high school players that are passing up the opportunity to play at a D2 or D3 school because some club coach has filled their head with the fantasy that his club program will be a D1 program in a year or two.
It isn't going to happen!
Unless they can prove to you that right now they have the commitment (in writing) from the AD and most important that they have the money (in writing) budgeted by the university, it just isn't going to happen during your 4years at that school.
I think every high school player should know the facts. I don't care if you are talking to BYU, Georgia, Michigan, Florida or FSU, all college club programs are facing two major hurdles. The first is "title 9" and the second is money and these go hand in hand.
The first hurdle to get over is "Title 9". To add a men's lax team of 40+ players the school will need to add equal women's programs in some sports to keep the balance. So if they add a womens lax team that will cover 20-24 of the players. So now you need another womens sport team to keep the title 9 balance.
For a university to add a mens lax team, they must add 2 womens D1 sports teams. Therefore the university must come up with the money to fund three D1 athletic programs. With coaches salaries, travel costs, scholarships, uniforms, insurance, referee fees, fields, etc. you are looking at a conservative budget of $15,000,000 to $25,000,000 to cover these three sports programs. Most universities are trying to reduce their operating costs, not add $20 million to it.
If the university has the money, then the first step is to add a womens lax program (or some other sport). This is a 2-3 year process. U of Florida announced 2 years ago and they will field a D1 womens lax team in spring 2009.
Now you need another womens program before you can even think about adding the mens lax team. So if the university were ready to take the first step today, you are looking at about 6+ years to see a mens D1 lax team take the field.
So before you pass up that D2 or D3 opportunity to play in on club with the "promise" of going D1, ask some questions and ask to see in writing the university plan to add the program, don't just take the word of the coach.
Good luck!
It isn't going to happen!
Unless they can prove to you that right now they have the commitment (in writing) from the AD and most important that they have the money (in writing) budgeted by the university, it just isn't going to happen during your 4years at that school.
I think every high school player should know the facts. I don't care if you are talking to BYU, Georgia, Michigan, Florida or FSU, all college club programs are facing two major hurdles. The first is "title 9" and the second is money and these go hand in hand.
The first hurdle to get over is "Title 9". To add a men's lax team of 40+ players the school will need to add equal women's programs in some sports to keep the balance. So if they add a womens lax team that will cover 20-24 of the players. So now you need another womens sport team to keep the title 9 balance.
For a university to add a mens lax team, they must add 2 womens D1 sports teams. Therefore the university must come up with the money to fund three D1 athletic programs. With coaches salaries, travel costs, scholarships, uniforms, insurance, referee fees, fields, etc. you are looking at a conservative budget of $15,000,000 to $25,000,000 to cover these three sports programs. Most universities are trying to reduce their operating costs, not add $20 million to it.
If the university has the money, then the first step is to add a womens lax program (or some other sport). This is a 2-3 year process. U of Florida announced 2 years ago and they will field a D1 womens lax team in spring 2009.
Now you need another womens program before you can even think about adding the mens lax team. So if the university were ready to take the first step today, you are looking at about 6+ years to see a mens D1 lax team take the field.
So before you pass up that D2 or D3 opportunity to play in on club with the "promise" of going D1, ask some questions and ask to see in writing the university plan to add the program, don't just take the word of the coach.
Good luck!