Earning an athletic scholarship to a Division I or II college is always difficult.  For high school seniors graduating in 2021 (and beyond), it will be even harder.  There are several reasons for this.

Dropped Programs = Fewer Scholarships

As a result of revenue losses during the pandemic, some colleges and universities have dropped athletic programs.  This is not just a small school issue.  Major universities with storied athletic and academic histories have dropped highly successful programs.  Stanford University, one of the finest academic schools in the world and a PAC 12 school, dropped eleven athletic programs.  There will be more schools making difficult decisions on non-revenue producing sports moving forward. 

Another Year for Current Scholarship Athletes

The NCAA gave student-athletes another year of eligibility to deal with opt-outs, shortening seasons, cancelled seasons, and all of the other uncertainty related to COVID.  In an article in The Athletic, Andy Staples cited an offensive lineman at Texas State as an example.  The player did not play as a freshman in 2019 (redshirt year).  He started twelve games as redshirt freshman in 2020.  In 2021, he will be ….. a freshman ….. a third-year freshman … who may become a sixth-year Senior in 2024.

There may be a Senior point guard on your favorite college team who makes second team All-Conference.  This outstanding player, if she feels like she can improve her professional prospects or make progress toward a graduate degree, might be your starting point guard again next year.  Today is the not the right time for that player to make a decision about next year.  The coach truly doesn’t know if she needs a point guard next year or not. 

Transfer Portal

If you follow college sports at all, you know that it is easier for athletes to transfer than ever before.  There are schools that are signing fewer freshman and taking more transfers (there are also athletes in the transfer portal who will not find a new school).   

Evaluation

In an ideal situation, a student-athlete might attend a camp at a school before their Senior year.  A student-athlete could also play in front of college coaches at an event or tournament.  These things happened less last year.  High school football was NOT played in California in 2020.  How can college coaches evaluate players who have not played at all or played in shortened seasons? 

Other Reasons

Last year, the Major League Baseball draft was shortened to five rounds.  The players who could have been drafted in the other 35 rounds often returned to school.  Every sport has had unique challenges during the pandemic.  Most of those challenges are making it even more difficult for outstanding student-athletes earn scholarships offers.

Some of the solutions to these challenges are fraught with peril too.  Some smart person might open a prep school for high school graduates after reading this article.  The brand-new prep school may not offer a rewarding athletic or academic experience in year one.  Some athletes are paying for their freshman year in college with the unofficial promise of a scholarship the following year.   What happens to that promise in the event of an injury or a coach leaving for another job? 

Student First Education does not have scholarships to offer, but we can help you understand and navigate the quickly changing landscape of collegiate athletics.  The student part of student-athlete is more important than ever.  Contact us for a free consultation.