What’s happening in college soccer recruiting is reflected in college basketball and the NCAA tournament. Check out this clip from this weekend’s first round and pay close attention.
The biggest upset of the Opening Round of the NCAA tournament was 14th seeded Oakland University over the No. 3 seed, and national powerhouse, Kentucky. Oakland University is considered a “mid-major” basketball program with a fraction of the operating budget that Kentucky has.
This is EXACTLY what is happening in college soccer. NCAA Division I coaches are recruiting older players from the transfer portal, top NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and JUCO kids instead of 18 year old seniors in high school. Coaches get paid to win and it is hard to win with 18 year olds, partially due to the fact that coaches have no time to develop players anymore, they need to win right away as their jobs depend on it.
Programs are relying on the transfer portal to get older, veteran players that have college experience to help them be successful right away. For the juniors and seniors in high school, this is a tough pill to swallow. In the past, if you were a lock to be a Division I recruit, you now may not be getting the same looks and consideration that you would have received 5-10 years ago. During last year’s NCAA Tournament, I wrote a blog post about this concept and it’s crazy to see that a year later, recruiting has become even more of a challenge.
Next week, I’ll be going more in depth about the current trends in college soccer recruiting for both men and women, so be sure to look for that email from me.
I know that I may be starting to sound like a broken record but recruiting is more difficult than it ever has been before. By my estimation, close to 25% of roster spots each year that used to be assigned to incoming freshmen are now being filled by transfers. Having an advocate on your side can help you and your family evaluate all of your options and connect you with the right fit college and program. It’s also crucial to have someone in your corner who can be honest with you about your skill level and who can contact the right-fit college coaches on your behalf.
In total, through my work with TSA Recruiting, we’ve been able to help more than 200 high school athletes find their right fit.
If this is of interest to you, I highly recommend you complete the form by clicking the button below. Let’s connect and see how TSA Recruiting can help you navigate this process.