THE PROSPECTOR
Winter 2010 - 2011
College Prospects of
PO Box 71 Clinton CT 06413
Phone/Fax: (860) 664-0424 Internet http://www.collegeprospectsofct.com
Steve Karp, Contributing Editor - steve@collegeprospectsofct.com
Steve Karp - Director
Table of Contents:
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# Graduation Rates for Athletes Hold Steady |
# NAIA Now Has an Eligibility Center |
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# Available Scholarships | |
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#Welcome New Prospects |
# Sports Sponsorships |
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# Early ScholarshipOffers May be on the Way Out |
# Local Contact Information |
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Graduation Rates for Athletes Hold Steady
Athletes at the nation's biggest college-sports programs continue to graduate at rates higher than their nonathlete peers reports the NCAA in its ninth year of collecting data on how quickly athletes complete their college degrees.
Seventy-nine percent of all Division I athletes who entered college from 2000 to 2003 graduated within six years of enrolling. That rate is unchanged from last year.
Over all, nearly two-thirds of the NCAA's 4,900 or so Division I teams posted graduation-success rates, as the NCAA refers to its measure, of 80 percent or higher for athletes who entered college during that four-year period. Roughly 5 percent of the teams had graduation-success rates lower than 50 percent.
Some trends remain constant: Female athletes continue to graduate at higher rates than male athletes, at 87 percent and 72 percent, respectively. And the three Division I sports that have struggled the most with academics—men's basketball, football, and baseball—continue to post the lowest graduation-success rates. But this year's data mark the first time the NCAA has reported graduation-success rates for athletes who entered college and completed their degrees under the association's stricter academic requirements, which were adopted in 2003.
The NCAA uses its own formula to calculate the graduation-success rates of Division I athletes. The figures are different from the graduation rates calculated by the U.S. Department of Education. The NCAA statistics, unlike the federal ones, do not penalize institutions when athletes transfer to other colleges, as long as they leave in good academic standing. When looking at the federal data, the NCAA report states that Division I athletes still graduate at rates slightly higher than their nonathlete peers: For those entering college in 2003, 64 percent of athletes graduated within six years, compared with 63 percent of the general student body at Division I institutions.
In the high-profile sports of football, baseball, and men's basketball, the latest graduation-success rates showed modest changes, if any, from data released last year.
Men's basketball, which tends to lag behind most other sports in its graduation-success rate, posted a one-point increase from last year, graduating 65 percent of its players who enrolled from 2000 to 2003. Football in the FBS level of Division I (formerly known as I-A) and the FCS level (formerly Division I-AA) saw no increase in its graduation-success rate from last year, with 67 percent and 64 percent, respectively, of its athletes graduating in six years. The sport of baseball, meantime, showed a slight increase: 70 percent of athletes graduated in six years, compared with 69 percent last year.
The NCAA also breaks down the graduation data by race and ethnicity. This year's report states that African-American male basketball players have shown the greatest increase in their graduation-success rates since the association began collecting data nine years ago, for athletes who entered college in 1995. During that period, the graduation-success rate for African-American male basketball players has increased from 46 percent, for athletes entering college in 1995, to 60 percent, for those who enrolled in 2003.
Among the marquee programs in the so-called “BCS Conferences”, several teams, particularly in men's basketball, posted graduation-success rates below 50 percent. They include the men's basketball teams at the Universities of Connecticut and Maryland at College Park (both 31 percent), Georgia Tech (36 percent), Kansas State (40 percent), and Kentucky (44 percent); and the football team at the University of Oklahoma (44 percent). Twenty-nine teams at 27 institutions—including such sports as women's tennis, men's golf, and women's skiing—had graduation-success rates of zero.
In NCAA Division II, the graduation-success rate for the same period is 73 percent.
The NCAA does not calculate a GSR for Division III since those students do not receive athletics-based financial aid, however, a pilot program is in the works to do so beginning this fall. The NCAA Eligibility Center (once known as the “Clearinghouse”) has bumped registration fees for prospective student-athletes.
NCAA Sued Over 1-Year Scholarship Rule
The New York Times reports that a former student-athlete is suing the NCAA because athletic scholarships are renewed each year and are not “guaranteed for four years”.
A former Rice University football player who lost his scholarship for his senior year has filed a class-action lawsuit. His attorneys argue that the one-year limit on athletic scholarships amounts to a price-fixing scheme between the association and member universities. The suit was filed just five months after the NCAA acknowledged that the antitrust division of the Justice Department was looking into the one-year scholarship rule.
Joseph Agnew was a highly recruited defensive back from Carroll, Texas, who enrolled at Rice U. in Texas in the fall of 2006. He played in all 13 of the team’s games his first season, but the head coach who recruited him left for the University of Tulsa before Agnew’s sophomore year. After losing playing time and battling injuries, Agnew was not offered a scholarship in his junior year. He appealed the decision and won, but he was again denied a scholarship the next year. Agnew, who is pursuing a degree in sociology, is now paying his own way at Rice.
Bob Williams, a spokesman for the NCAA, said in a statement that the NCAA is reviewing the lawsuit, but “it should be noted that the award of athletic scholarships on a one-year, renewable basis is the more typical approach taken within higher education for talent-based and academic scholarships in general.”
In May, responding to reports that the Justice Department was investigating its scholarship rule, the NCAA released a statement explaining that “an annual review of whether an individual meets the standards of a merit award is the most appropriate way to ensure that the most deserving student-athletes receive that award each year.”
The suit argues that the N.C.A.A. is also violating antitrust rules by limiting the number of scholarships that each team can award.
Welcome New Clients
Mike Certoma, Weston High School, Soccer
Travis Krause, Branford High School, Baseball
Robbie Keers, Wilton High School, Football
Kayla McAvoy, Old Saybrook High School, Basketball
James Annello, Waterford High School, Baseball
Sarah Walker, Miss Porters School, Softball
Paul Angelucci, Trumbull High School, Football
Early Scholarship Offers May Be On Way Out
No more offering football scholarships to quarterbacks in the 8th grade? Perhaps.
An NCAA committee has proposed legislation to stop early verbal offers of financial aid to prospects in all sports. As written, it would prohibit verbal offers of athletically related financial aid prior to July 1st before a prospect’s senior year in high school.
Though most of the media attention surrounding early offers of aid has focused on basketball and football, coaches in other sports are not immune to the issue. In 2008, the Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association was instrumental in introducing legislation that would have accomplished the same thing in their sport only. Though that proposal was defeated, it may have paved the way for the entire recruiting model to be examined.
The committee also sponsored a proposal that would provide more flexibility to coaches calling prospects during a specific time period, essentially applying a rule that currently exists in men’s basketball to all sports except football. The proposal would allow institutions to make one telephone call per month to a prospect, parent or legal guardian on or after June 15 after the prospect’s sophomore year in high school through July 31 after the junior year in high school. Beginning August 1 before the senior year, an institution is permitted to make two telephone calls to an individual prospect or parent or guardian per week. The proposal would also permit institutions to make one call per week to a two-year or four-year college prospect.
If this legislation is approved as propsed, habits will have to change. In late June, Ohio State football announced their first commitment for the class of 2012! He committed while attending the OSU football camp. This reminds us of Bill Conley’s warning that for kids who think they are a top recruit and who attend a team camp, if they aren’t offered at the camp, the school doesn’t consider them a big prize. That’s a shock for the prospect but it’s reality. That practice could change, depending on the version of the legislation that is ultimately approved.
Also being considered, legislation that would:
*Prohibit prospects from making official visits to the institution in which the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or accepted a written offer of admission and/or financial aid;
*Remove all restrictions on the forms and frequency of communication with a prospect the calendar day after the prospect has either signed an NLI or accepted a written offer of admission and/or financial aid.
Many of these proposals received overwhelming support in a survey of the membership, but the changes represent only the beginning of what the cabinet expects to be a comprehensive process to unite most sports under similar recruiting rules.
All legislation proposed will be introduced into the 2010-11 legislative cycle. The Legislative Council will cast its first official votes on the proposals at the 2011 NCAA Convention in San Antonio. Proposals could be adopted in either January or April.
BBB Market Share
We received a note from the Central Ohio Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently, which not only congratulated CPOA on our accreditation and positive customer rating but also gave us some insight into our market share through our local BBB Web site.
The BBB letter states that CPOA received 697 inquiries in 2008 through the Central Ohio BBB office. An “inquiry” simply means that someone requested information about CPOA. According to the BBB, it represents more than 16% of overall inquiries for our industry – including all competitors – for the year.
As a company with an “A” rating, the BBB recognizes CPOA as “an accredited business…committed to ethical business practices.” This should be reassuring to potential customers who are looking into our business and industry.
NAIA Now Has an Eligibility Center
The NAIA has established an Eligibility Center similar to the NCAA’s.
Unfortunately, it means many families will have to pony up more money and navigate another level of bureaucracy. It’s disappointing but it’s a trend.
The registration fee for the NAIA Eligibility Center is $60.00 for U. S. students and $85.00 USD for international students. The NAIA Eligibility Center will begin registering students September 1. Any athlete who wants to compete at an NAIA school beginning in the fall of 2011 must be certified by the Eligibility Center.
Here is more on the NAIA Eligibility Center from its new web site: www.playnaia.org:
Who needs to register?
Every student interested in playing NAIA sports for the first time in 2011-12 or any year after that needs to register and be certified. This applies to:
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• High school seniors |
• Transfers from two-year colleges |
• Transfers from four-year colleges |
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What happens when I register?
You'll create a personal profile with the basic facts about your academic history and sports participation to date. You'll also have the opportunity to provide more in-depth information about your experience and accomplishments, plus the type of college you have in mind — size, location, areas of study, extracurricular activities. Then, we’ll provide a list of NAIA institutions that match those interests. You can choose to have your profile sent directly to the schools – coaches and admissions offices – you choose. It’s a personal connection, and you're in control!
What information will I need to provide?
You'll need your current contact information, previous residences and addresses, high schools attended and history of your sports participation during and after high school graduation. When you register for the ACT or SAT, include the NAIA Eligibility Center (9876) on the list of places test scores should be sent. Ask your high school counselors to send the NAIA Eligibility Center a final official transcript that verifies high school graduation, class rank and cumulative grade point average.
Do I need to register if I'm registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
Yes. Certification of NAIA eligibility is separate from NCAA certification. The NAIA and NCAA are two separate associations, with two different sets of certification processes.
Is there an opportunity for a fee waiver?
Yes. The registration fee will be waived for students with demonstrated need. If you receive a fee waiver for the ACT or SAT test or qualify for the federal free or reduced-cost lunch program, contact your high school counselor, who can contact the Eligibility Center and verify a fee waiver. Transfer students can qualify for a fee waiver based on receipt of Federal Pell Grant funds.
The NAIA requires a student to graduate from high school and satisfy at least two of the following three requirements: A score of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT, a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or graduate in the top 50% of the student’s high school class.
We don’t know how much pressure NAIA coaches will put on students to register. Listen to the feedback from your clients on this subject and pass it along so we can advise others. We’d like to advise families not to register immediately to save money. The NAIA web site does not state that student’s must register before visiting NAIA schools so maybe mom and dad can defer registering until they’re fairly sure an NAIA school is under strong consideration?
We suspect the first year of certifying students for NAIA schools will be stressful and challenging, although the NAIA’s rules for eligibility are far less complex than the NCAA’s so perhaps it won’t be a terrific strain? Certainly the NAIA won’t be certifying nearly as many student-athletes as the NCAA does since there are fewer than 300 NAIA member schools.
This is another hoop for families to jump through and for that we’re sorry, but registration is a revenue stream and the NAIA has been missing the boat on that for a long time.
Be sure to visit our website to and see what college coaches are seeking in the way of talent for the next year or two.
http://www.collegeprospectsofct.com/availscholarships.htm
Sports Sponsorships
Over the past two years, Tulane has phased six sports into full-time service, including women’s tennis, women’s golf, men’s outdoor track and field, men’s cross country, men’s tennis, and women’s swimming and diving.
St. Andrews Presbyterian College, NCAA Division II in Laurinburg, N. Carolina, is suspending its women’s volleyball team’s schedule for 2010 because the coach resigned to return to her native Brazil to care for her ailing father. The athletic director said there was no way to hire a coach quickly enough to save this season, though the school plans to resume play in 2011.
The Pacific 10 Conference will be renamed “The Pac 12” when the University of Utah and the University of Colorado join the conference in 2012. In what’s probably a slight dig at the Big 10 and the Big 12, Pac 10 commissioner Larry Scott noted the new name will at least make the league “mathematically correct”. The two new schools represent the conference’s first expansion since 1978.
Cal State Bakersfield, which reclassified to NCAA Division II five years ago, is moving back to NCAA Division I and reinstating four sports effective this fall. Wrestling, women’s tennis and men’s and women’s golf will be self-supporting teams with fund raising continuing to ensure the teams’ survival. The Roadrunners will compete in 17 varsity sports beginning in September.
Local Contact Information
If you would like to play sports in college, you have good grades and you are not receiving questionnaires in the mail, contact our local office as soon as possible.
Steve Karp
(860) 664-0424
www.collegeprospectsofct.com opportunities
Every month college coaches from across the nation make direct contact with CPOA regarding available scholarships. Visit our website and see what's being offered in your sport. Remember, what you see is only the tip of the iceberg.
CAN YOU COMPETE AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL?
Many parents and students ask me if there is ability to play at the collegiate level. My answer is always in three parts --
#1 Ask the high school or club coach, they usually have the ability to determine if your son or daughter can play at the collegiate level.
#2 -- Based on performance statisitics, I can help to determine at what level in college a student-athlete could compete. An example -- in the 100m Dash, a time of 10.2 - 10.7 is within the NCAA Div I Qualifying Standards, while times of 10.7 - 11.1 is within the NCAA Div II Qualifying Standards.
Does a student-athlete need to have these times to perform at the collegiate level? No -- in most cases, college coaches are looking for athletes who have these times or continue to improve and have the potential to reach these times!
In other sports where performances are not timed -- the judgement of a student-athletes ability is mostly subjective.
#3 -- Ultimately, the only person(s) who will determine if a high school student athlete can compete at the collegiate level is the college coaches. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE AS MANY COACHES AS POSSIBLE KNOW ABOUT AN ATHLETES ABILITIES!
How can you ensure as many coaches as possible know about your child's abilities? Use the CPOA Program!
CONTACT SHEETS
Remember to keep track of all questionnaires, calls, etc from college coaches with the contact sheets found in your STUDENT PACKET. Email me at steve@collegeprospectsofct.com if you need additional copies! Also, it is your responsibility to send me your updated contact sheets every (30) days.
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE
Every CPOA Student-Athlete has received a NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete as part of the STUDENT PACKET you received when you joined the program. In this guide, you find instructions on how to apply for your NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse Number. Eligibility is based on what core courses have been completed, SAT scores and overall gpa in core courses. NCAA approved core courses, by high school, can be found at http://actrs7.act.org/ahs.
STUDENTS APPLY FOR THEIR NCAA ECN AT THE END OF THEIR JUNIOR YEAR. HOWEVER, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO REVIEW ELIGIBILITY AS EARLY AS THE SOPHOMORE YEAR TO ENSURE THE CORRECT COURSES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED! For more information about the process, email steve@collegeprospectsofct.com for a NCAA Guide or call 888-ASK-CPOA (CPOA Program Members Only).
INTERNET UPDATES
If you have update information for your internet profile, please forward to steve@collegeprospectsofct.com. Remember, you automatically receive (2) two free updates per year. If you've upgraded your program to receive unlimited updates ($100 fee), you can send updates every day/week if you'd like. Updates take approximately 72 hours to be made online.
REFERRAL PROGRAM
Do you know of a high school student athlete with the ability to perform at the collegiate level? A teammate from high school? Club team? From the newspaper? Let me know at steve@collegeprospectsofct.com and if that athlete signs with CPOA of Connecticut, your favorite school, booster club, etc. will receive a donation in your name as a referral fee! Call Steve at (860) 664-0424 for more information and copies of CPOA brochures for distribution to prospective athletes.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in working part-time helping High School Athletes achieve their dream of playing sports at the collegiate level while receiving financial aid -- call Steve at (860) 664-0424! We're looking for part-time scouts. Scouts can be graduating College Seniors looking for a summer job, Mothers looking for a part-time job or anyone looking to supplement their income!
THE CPOA MARKETING PROGRAM -- Massive Exposure
The CPOA marketing program uses marketing methods (direct mail supplemented by email, video, video streaming, internet, and phone calls, as well as mailed updates) to create massive exposure to college coaches. Why? We feel that by marketing a student-athletes skills both on the field and in the classroom to as many schools as the student is qualified to participate, we will create opportunity. The more schools interested in a student -- the better! As coaches begin to narrow their choices for scholarships based on roster openings, student ability, and personal fit -- its important to have as many schools interested as possible. Just as students have top 10 lists of preferred schools, so do coaches -- with ranked lists of potential scholar athletes. If you are ranked number #2 on a coaches' list, and #1 takes the scholarship, you don't get an offer.
How do you get on multiple recruiting lists? Join the CPOA program -- check out the available packages at http://www.collegeprospectsofct.com/cpoaservices.htm.
RECRUITING SEMINARS
College Prospects of Connecticut is planning to conduct several recruiting training sessions over the next few months. These sessions will include the basics of the recruiting process, how to choose the right college, review of NCAA rules and regulations, and how to best navigate this important process of college selection. Please let us know if you have interest in hosting one of these sessions for your teammates (students/parents) or teams/booster clubs (coaches).
