- Feb 24, 2012
- 126
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I have heard of some, D1&D2, having tis rule. I do not think it is common place, but it is out there.
I would HIGHLY suggest that the parents do some addition investigation because if this is true it is the first school I have ever heard of with this policy. I would bet $1 the coaches are either mis-informed or trying to save some athletic money for other players.
I wouldn't call it a policy. I'd call it a strategy.
D-II has only 7.2 scholarships available. Most D-II's aren't even fully funded (at least that's what I was told once by the nearest D-II coach up this way), so there's not much athletic money to give. The coach's strategy is to recruit good students who will be happy with their academic aid and a roster spot so that the coach's limited athletic money will go further. She might lose some recruits that way, but she might gain others because she's spending her athletic money strategically. Coach is doing what she thinks will build the best roster overall.
It's not totally unlike the Hope Scholarship in Georgia. Take the Hope and be happy and we'll spend our athletic money on somebody who can't get it. Athletic money is not assigned based on a player's value to the team, but on need and what builds the best team overall.
I completely understand a coaches strategy of recruiting girls with strong academics who will qualify for financial aide allowing the coaching staff to spend their athletic money elsewhere, but I think it is WRONG for a coaching staff to tell a player that "school policy" prevents them from stacking athletic and academic money if that is not true. If a coach will lie about that, what else are they lying about?
I completely understand a coaches strategy of recruiting girls with strong academics who will qualify for financial aide allowing the coaching staff to spend their athletic money elsewhere, but I think it is WRONG for a coaching staff to tell a player that "school policy" prevents them from stacking athletic and academic money if that is not true. If a coach will lie about that, what else are they lying about?
The coach explained the "no stack" option either academics or athletics, and this was confirmed when they followed up with admissions. It is a school policy not the coach. Talking to the parents sounds like they are not fully funded as the coach presented athletic money but was less than the academic. On a side note, the academic scholarship is about 60% so that is more than the coach has available.
You would think the AD and coaches would fight this policy...I mean if you could offer just 25% to four kids in this situation that would basically cover 85% of costs and the athletic dept is out just one scholarship.