FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[emma17]

Tis the season, for High School players to "commit" to DIII Schools:

Jesuit's Ormsby commits to John Carroll

Actually commit is the correct word, as thats all a kid can do at the D3 level, give a verbal committment to attend.  When they start signing with Mount, Capital, ONU, JCU, BW, etc. its time to launch an NCAA investigation.

e_lee,

Glad you are posting! Agree, commit is one thing, but signing is another. It always raises the issue
that D3 schools do not offer scholarships, but they do provide "Grants-in-aid" I had one at Mount
during my playing days.

Interestingly in the article linked about the John Carroll recruit it states that both John Carroll and Marietta "made an offer" to a different player (QB) who is looking at some other schools.  Information like this is one reason why I think the public vs private tutition agruement holds much less water than it is typically given credit for.

or it's a case of the writer of the article not knowing what they are talking about regarding the DIII recruiting process

Is it too early in the year for a private D3 school to offer a financial aid package to an interested student-athlete?

[PurpleSuit]

Tis the season, for High School players to "commit" to DIII Schools:

Jesuit's Ormsby commits to John Carroll

Actually commit is the correct word, as thats all a kid can do at the D3 level, give a verbal committment to attend.  When they start signing with Mount, Capital, ONU, JCU, BW, etc. its time to launch an NCAA investigation.

e_lee,

Glad you are posting! Agree, commit is one thing, but signing is another. It always raises the issue
that D3 schools do not offer scholarships, but they do provide "Grants-in-aid" I had one at Mount
during my playing days.

Interestingly in the article linked about the John Carroll recruit it states that both John Carroll and Marietta "made an offer" to a different player (QB) who is looking at some other schools.  Information like this is one reason why I think the public vs private tutition agruement holds much less water than it is typically given credit for.

or it's a case of the writer of the article not knowing what they are talking about regarding the DIII recruiting process

Is it too early in the year for a private D3 school to offer a financial aid package to an interested student-athlete?

Not saying that, just thinking that a writer from a state with zero DIII football programs might not have a grasp that DIII doesn't have offers or letters of intent. 

[formerd3db]

PurpleSuit:

I agree with you, although let's be absolutely clear on the distinction.  Obviously, you and I and our colleagues all know that DIII doesn't have a "signing day" since the DIII schools do not make offers of athletic scholarships because they don't have those.  Yet at the same time, they do make offers of academic packages, including grant-in-aids as Raider68 has mentioned.  I think you stated it correctly in that a good number of the members of the sports media as well as the general public do not understand the specifics of that.  Also, I noticed that some of the radio sports programs (at least here in our region) are now including some of the local area high school players who have already made commitments to DIII schools (and including those who have accepted their academic and community included financial aid packages from their particular colleges) in their "signing day" programs/coverage of the announcements for their local area DI and DII (and NAIA) signees.  Again, I agree that it is important that we all make the distinction, yet IMO, the general public needs to know that as well as you and some of the others here have said and I personally do not have a problem with DIII recruits being included in the "recognition day" - they should be.

[NCF]

PurpleSuit:

I agree with you, although let's be absolutely clear on the distinction.  Obviously, you and I and our colleagues all know that DIII doesn't have a "signing day" since the DIII schools do not make offers of athletic scholarships because they don't have those.  Yet at the same time, they do make offers of academic packages, including grant-in-aids as Raider68 has mentioned.  I think you stated it correctly in that a good number of the members of the sports media as well as the general public do not understand the specifics of that.  Also, I noticed that some of the radio sports programs (at least here in our region) are now including some of the local area high school players who have already made commitments to DIII schools (and including those who have accepted their academic and community included financial aid packages from their particular colleges) in their "signing day" programs/coverage of the announcements for their local area DI and DII (and NAIA) signees.  Again, I agree that it is important that we all make the distinction, yet IMO, the general public needs to know that as well as you and some of the others here have said and I personally do not have a problem with DIII recruits being included in the "recognition day" - they should be.

Completely agree with you. At my son's high school they recognize all athletes who have committed to any college. The athletes get a press release with pictures and a bio. These student-athletes are also recognized on Honors Day for any academic scholarship they have received. IMHO it is a big deal for anyone to be able to continue their athletic career in college no matter what the division. 

[raiderpa]

I believe that the parents of these players want to get it out there, no matter the validity, that their child has "signed a letter of intent"...."been offered"..."accepted a scholarship" at a DIII school... It is totally an ego thing and makes them feel special.  We all want to feel our children are special, they just take it (an aid package) and run with it as a scholarship offer.
Let em have their dreams, but it does get aggravating when you hear them out in public bragging that their kid got a scholarship to play at Mount or Wooster or Muskingum or where ever and know that they are full of themselves.

[reality check]

I think "sign" is the appropriate term.  When that tuition check is "SIGNED", the OAC schools can rest a little easier about the commitment.

[formerd3db]

raiderpa:

You have a valid point and I agree with that in regards to the "ego" aspect.  On the other hand, I also believe that there is nothing wrong with one's parents being very proud about their son's accomplishment and wanting people to know that he is going on to continue his football career in college including that it also involves a scholarship/financial aid regardless of the origin - because we all also know that the DIII schools do recruit athletically, just as intense as DI and DII and NAIA schools do, albeit some additional and more important aspects being the underlying motives for that.  I believe that such announcements of the "commitment" and acceptance of the financial aid involved (again regardless of the origin of the latter) to a DIII college and the desire of parents wanting it to be known or their just sharing that publically with friends, colleagues and others - as long as they do it in a respectable and honest way - is without question legit.  If not even for the simple reason that we all know that there certainly are many players who, despite being very good players in high school, are not good enough to play in college even at the DIII level.   

[emma17]

I'm still interested in the timing of the financial aid package to a D3 student athlete. Do D3 schools "present" financial aid packages this time of the year?  It sure would be helpful to kids trying to make decisions. I would imagine there are plenty of kids with enough talent to have options between a D2 school or lower level D1 school that may also have interest in a D3 school. If that kid doesn't know the amount of aid he/she can get from the D3 school- then I could see them signing w a scholarship school.  Just curious really.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm still interested in the timing of the financial aid package to a D3 student athlete. Do D3 schools "present" financial aid packages this time of the year?  It sure would be helpful to kids trying to make decisions. I would imagine there are plenty of kids with enough talent to have options between a D2 school or lower level D1 school that may also have interest in a D3 school. If that kid doesn't know the amount of aid he/she can get from the D3 school- then I could see them signing w a scholarship school.  Just curious really.

Even for non athletes, it is not uncommon for financial aid 'offers' to come out by about now.

Since the d3 philosophy is NOT to penalize student-athletes (just give them no more benefits than other students), that should be the same for student-athletes.

[badgerwarhawk]

Just to be clear that when I started this conversation it wasn't my intent to imply that John Carroll, or any other  private, was doing anything inappropriate and/or anything that I thought was wrong.  I understood that the "offer" was academic not athletic money and I don't have any problem whatsoever with that.  The point I was making was that the disparity between public and private tutition when it comes to recruiting athletes that the program really wants is not the issue some make it out to be.   

[jaypeter]

Just to let folks know, Garcon seems to be making the rounds on ESPN Radio today.  He was on Mike and Mike earlier, about to be on Simon Cowherd, and if he follows some of the others this week, my guess is he'll be on Scott Van Pelt or another show later as well.  If you miss them, each show typically links each interview segment pretty quickly after it airs.

[NCF]

Just to be clear that when I started this conversation it wasn't my intent to imply that John Carroll, or any other  private, was doing anything inappropriate and/or anything that I thought was wrong.  I understood that the "offer" was academic not athletic money and I don't have any problem whatsoever with that.  The point I was making was that the disparity between public and private tutition when it comes to recruiting athletes that the program really wants is not the issue some make it out to be.

You are correct in that it might not be that big of a difference, however, the amount of financial need based aid a student is eligible to receive depends the results in the FAFSA report. Academic scholarships are different at all college/universities. At North Central, a presidential scholarship is worth 16,500 and good for four years. There is still a big gap between that scholarship and the actual cost of a year's worth of tuition. So if a student does not qualify for grants and only a limited number of loans, then the cost  may be out of reach for him. Coaches at some institutions may be able to go to bat for an athlete, but the financial aid officer has the final say in how aid is distributed.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Tis the season, for High School players to "commit" to DIII Schools:

Jesuit's Ormsby commits to John Carroll

Picture of him signing his NLOI:

http://www2.tbo.com/list/natinoal-signing-day-2012/gallery/

[reality check]

Just to let folks know, Garcon seems to be making the rounds on ESPN Radio today.  He was on Mike and Mike earlier, about to be on Simon Cowherd, and if he follows some of the others this week, my guess is he'll be on Scott Van Pelt or another show later as well.  If you miss them, each show typically links each interview segment pretty quickly after it airs.

Is that a combination of Simon Cowell and Colin Cowherd? 

[formerd3db]

newcardfan:

Excellent post and that is exactly the difficulties encountered and mentioned by many of the assistant coaches at the various DIII schools - at least from those I've heard from/talked to in our MIAA.