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Sports Recruitment

The value of recruiting top athletes across the US

Studies show that depending on the ranking players they recruit, a strong relation has been found that it make the university more money. Higher level the recruit for basketball, the more the school will get in donations.

While universities profit millions off of student-athletes, in return they get their tuition paid for, room and board, and books. Forbes analyzed the top universities who generate the most revenue in college basketball. Duke was ranked top of the list in 2011 generating 160% more revenue than the national average among other BCS basketball programs.

Coaches have to sell this to players and families everywhere, and some people do not think this is an uneven trade. When coaches recruit players, most people would usually think that the most attractive thing to the student-athletes is the sport achievements and the culture of the athletic program, but in this study degree options ranked at top importance. In fact two of the three top choices of importance has to do with academics rather than athletics. The study shows that athletes take their academics just as or more serious than their athletics.

Universities spend a tremendous amount of money on recruiting to win more games. Winning more games get more donations from alumni and friends of the program. When high ranked talent is recruited studies show that they win more games, and universities and coaches get more money.

D1 programs across the country try to find top tier talent to fulfill their university goals. Highschool, Junior College, and prep school all compete with players ranked on rivals.com to get a D1 scholarship. These are the top 100 players in the country, and they get the first looks. With these players universities have proven to do better with team success and university revenue. Their academics just as or more serious than their athletics.

The NCAA now allows coaches to offer scholarships to young players even at the elementary school level. What they do not allow is for players to take an official visit to the university until junior year. Seniors and other upper classmen have to not only compete with he best in their class to get recruited, but the best of all classes.