Better Competition

[daywalkerdad]

Once we get through next year, the last year of the Covid super seniors (Don't get me started on the stupidity of that decision), the number of kids graduating each year will need to be replaced on rosters so the number of spots for incoming freshman will normalize. The distribution might differ from the pre-portal days but in aggregate the total number of roster spots open from graduating seniors will need to be filled with freshman.

It should have largely normalized after the first year from Covid, but now is dealing with the portal. I think the point was missed so I will clarify.
286 d1 programs 65 p5 programs. Each school has 12 scholarships divided between 20-25 players.
So normal pre portal assuming 5 per class would be 300 p5 1200 non power 5 d1.
So will a P5 team in need of an outfielder sign a 300 ranked freshman or sign an all conference level player from another d1 school from the portal?
So will you see power 5 signing 150 freshman and 150 transfers?
Oklahoma has signed 4 and ucla 4 off the portal.
About 400 players entered the portal. I assume most players transfer for a larger scholarship %. This will reduce the number for incoming freshmen.
Enter NIL, my thought would be power 5 have more money. Thus able to attract best players from other d1/d2 schools.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out. My guess will be top level d1 signing fewer freshmen and lower level d1/d2 signing more.
Tying to the thread if recruiting goes less to national programs and more to regional programs is the need to travel 8-10 hours for exposure reduced?

 

[DropcityUSA]

There's a girl from NJ going to a certain Midwest school that just picked up a big name pitcher. How she sees an inning there is beyond me. She hasn't thrown a single pitch in travel her entire senior season.

Right place at the right time, indeed.

She also got a 4-year full ride.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

She also got a 4-year full ride.

Yup, I've heard that. I've also heard the parents claimed they don't care if she sees the field because college is paid for. Whether true or not, I cannot say, but considering she hasn't played travel since last summer, it leads to me to believe there's some truth in it.

 

[DropcityUSA]

Yup, I've heard that. I've also heard the parents claimed they don't care if she sees the field because college is paid for. Whether true or not, I cannot say, but considering she hasn't played travel since last summer, it leads to me to believe there's some truth in it.

I was told the college asked her to switch travel teams to play a better schedule. I didn’t know she wasn’t playing.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I was told the college asked her to switch travel teams to play a better schedule. I didn’t know she wasn’t playing.

You were told correct information. She *switched* teams, and she never threw a pitch for them. She returned to her old team, and she hasn't thrown a pitch for them, either.

 

[Vertigo]

Yup, I've heard that. I've also heard the parents claimed they don't care if she sees the field because college is paid for. Whether true or not, I cannot say, but considering she hasn't played travel since last summer, it leads to me to believe there's some truth in it.

I don’t know the player being discussed but that sure is a lot of extra work for a player to do for four years who may never see the field in order to “have college paid for.” I just hope she is majoring in something worth her while then.

 

[_MIA_]

There has to be a “has to give a crap” clause in the NLI…

 

[BT3100]

She also got a 4-year full ride.

Almost all P5 pitchers are on full rides.. or a better statement would be they are zero out of pocket.

 

[RADcatcher]

Good read.

It should have largely normalized after the first year from Covid, but now is dealing with the portal.

Now is dealing with the finalization of the 5th/6th Year seniors. The portal will continue to shuffle players.

I think the point was missed so I will clarify.
286 d1 programs 65 p5 programs. Each school has 12 scholarships divided between 20-25 players.
So normal pre portal assuming 5 per class would be 300 p5 1200 non power 5 d1.
So will a P5 team in need of an outfielder sign a 300 ranked freshman or sign an all conference level player from another d1 school from the portal?
So will you see power 5 signing 150 freshman and 150 transfers?

Oklahoma has signed 4 and ucla 4 off the portal.

Pre-planned Arrangements utilizing the portal because it is part of the process.

I assume most players transfer for a larger scholarship %.

Not necessarily more money floating around that is being handed out to transfers. For the reason in your post regarding there's only so much scholarship money.
*Playing time and different Dynamic of program are on the list to transfer.

Enter NIL, my thought would be power 5 have more money. Thus able to attract best players from other d1/d2 schools.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out. My guess will be top level d1 signing fewer freshmen and lower level d1/d2 signing more.
Tying to the thread if recruiting goes less to national programs and more to regional programs is the need to travel 8-10 hours for exposure reduced?

Larger amounts of recruits right *now to fill the spots of regular seniors and 5th/6th year seniors that will be exiting.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Once we get through next year, the last year of the Covid super seniors (Don't get me started on the stupidity of that decision), the number of kids graduating each year will need to be replaced on rosters so the number of spots for incoming freshman will normalize. The distribution might differ from the pre-portal days but in aggregate the total number of roster spots open from graduating seniors will need to be filled with freshman.

So, here's my take on allowing the extra year for these players. It's really more of a math thing, so it's a good estimate.

I looked at five local D1 schools with softball programs to see how many players they carried as grad students. Only one school had no grad students, one had one, one had three, one had four, and the last had five. That's a total of 13 girls playing an extra year that under normal circumstances they wouldn't have. Granted, it's a small sample size, but that is an average of 2.6 extra girls for each team.

If you then multiply 286 × 2.6 you get 743.6 extra players in D1. The question I have is did they take away a spot from someone else, or did the team just increase their roster size to accommodate the extra players? Did they take away a potential scholarship from another girl?

The class of 2024 is the first one not dealing with this, so they could get recruited later than we've seen over the last several years. Maybe the Ivy league schools did it right by not allowing the extra year. Their take was your here for an education first. Athletics is secondary.