Soccer and College Opportunities



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Soccer and College Opportunities
Opening Questions

  • How many of you plan to go to college?

  • How many of you plan to play soccer in college?

  • Have you and your parents talked about how you will pay for college?

  • How many of you hope to get a soccer scholarship?

  • Are you taking hard courses and do you have good grades?

  • Do you think you need to take hard courses and have good grades to get a soccer scholarship?


Desired Outcomes:

  • Provide information about opportunities to continue playing soccer in college;

  • I want you to examine your individual motivations for playing soccer specifically in relationship to how that experience translates to your college goals and aspirations;

  • Provide suggestions for conducting the college search process;


Provide information about opportunities to continue playing soccer in college;
College Athletic Information

  • Number of NCAA I (335), II (302), III (447),

  • NAIA (290),

  • NCCAA (100)

  • NJCAA (525) institutions


NCAA I, II and NAIA Institutions (All have the ability to award athletic scholarships)

  • NCAA I schools tend to be larger institutions in terms of enrollments, academic majors, facilities, budgets, and scholarships with enrollments of 10,000 or more

  • NCAA II schools are a little smaller with enrollments ranging from 2,000 or higher (average 4,500)

  • NAIA schools are much smaller private schools with enrollments generally below 2,500


Athletic Grants in-Aid

  • All three types of institutions have the ability to award full scholarships (Athletic Grants in Aid) that can equal the total cost of attendance (tuition, room, board, books)

  • The dollar amount of the total cost of attendance for a single student is called a Full-Time Equivalency

  • NCAA and NAIA sets maximum equivalencies that a school can award based on sports

    • NCAA I: Men’s Soccer is 9.9 Women’s Soccer is 12

    • NCAA II: Men’s Soccer is 9 Women’s Soccer is 9.9

    • NAIA: Men’s and Women’s Soccer is 12




  • Schools can elect to fund any amount of Full Equivalences up to the sport maximum (can fund less, but can’t exceed the sport maximum)

  • There are a very small number of schools that fund men’s soccer at the maximum Full-time Equivalency level. The average number of men’s soccer equivalencies for:

    • Big East Conference – 7.7 (Villanova, Rutgers)

    • Atlantic 10 Conference – 7.1 (Temple)

    • MAAC – 6.8 (Rider)

    • ACC – 7.4 (Maryland. Virginia, Boston College)

    • Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – 6.1 (Philadelphia U.)


Scholarship Awarding Strategy

  • Annual scholarship budgets are based on the dollar amount equal to their programs allotment of Full-Equivalencies:

Institution’s total cost of attendance (Financial Aid Office) $ 35,000

Number of Full Equivalencies X 7

Annual Scholarship Budget $ 245,000

Less Returning Students on Scholarship (3/4 of total) - 185,000

Available for new Student-Athletes $ 60,000




  • Coaches at these institutions, including D-1, will award very few full grant-in-aids (full-rides). Those are usually reserved for the very top recruit who does not qualify for any other form of financial aid.

  • Most will give partial Athletic Grants In-Aid and spread their scholarships out to recruit more student-athletes.

  • Partial Athletic Grants In-Aid generally will be used to supplement other types of financial aid:




  • Federal Aid (Pell Grant, Stafford Loans, etc.)

  • State Aid (NJ TAG Grant)

  • Other Institutional Scholarships (academic, merit, etc.)

  • Other Outside Scholarship Sources


Key Message - There isn’t as much athletic scholarship money available as you might think compared to the large number of student-athletes who hope to get an athletic scholarship


  • Prospective student-athletes need to meet the NCAA academic eligibility requirements for D-I and D-II in order to be certified as a Qualifier and to receive an Athletic Grant In-Aid ; NCAA Academic Eligibility Requirements Handout

  • The only way a student-athlete’s academic eligibility can be evaluated is through the NCAA Eligibility Center (NCAA Clearinghouse); The Clearinghouse will also certify your amateur status using the Amateurism Questionnaire;

NCAA Eligibility Center Handout

  • Tips for NCAA Academic Eligibility Handout

  • Parent Tips for Monitoring Eligibility and Amateur Status


NCAA III

Have no Athletic Grants In-Aid and therefore does not require the use of the NCAA Eligibility Center;


Special Consideration Admissions

  • NCAA Academic Eligibility Requirements vs. Institutional Admissions Requirements – student athletes still need to satisfy a college’s admissions requirements in order to be admitted.

  • The Intent of Special Talent Exceptions for Admissions – exceptions to regular admissions requirements can be made for applicants whose special talent, intended major or background contributes to the campus environment in a positive way:

    • Talented artist or musicians or theater majors

    • Students that add to the diversity of the student body

    • Students that add to the desired gender mix of the student body

    • Student-athletes

  • The Admissions standards of best practices recommends that no more than 10% of the applicant pool be used for all special consideration admissions


Key Message – Make sure you don’t have to be a special admit - do well academically in high school!
NJCAA – A Viable First Option

  • Community colleges and private 2-year schools can be a viable options for student-athletes who:

    • Are partial or non-qualifers and want to participate immediately

    • Are partial or non-qualifiers to strengthen their academic record to become academically eligible to transfer

    • Are simply not sure about college, what to study, or where they want to end up

    • A financially viable place to start college before transferring…


Special Rules for Transferring Qualifiers

  • At the 2-year school did you:

    • Complete at least one term as a full-time student (12 CR),

    • Earned at least 12 CR each term you started,

    • Have a 2.0 CGPA,

  • If YES, you can practice, receive athletic financial aid, play right away during the first year you transfer.

  • If you said NO to any one of the three things you can practice and receive athletic financial aid, but need to sit out a full academic year (complete a year of residence)


Special Rules for Transferring Non-Qualifiers

  • At the 2-year school did you:

    • Complete at least 3 semesters as a full-time student (12 CR)

    • Earn and AA or AS degree

    • Earn at least 48 semester credits (or 72 quarter credits)

    • Have a 2.0 CGPA

  • If YES, you can practice, receive financial aid, play right away during the first year you transfer.

  • If you said NO to any one of the three things you cannot practice, cannot receive financial aid, and cannot play until you sit out a full academic year (complete a year of residence)


Key Message – Make sure you are a Qualifier - do well academically in high school!
NAIA and NCCAA

  • NAIA schools are a viable option as they are small private schools that are legitimately accredited colleges and universities and have Athletic Grants In-Aid guidelines similar to the NCAA

  • National Christian College Athletic Association schools are a little riskier. Some are not legitimately accredited and have very liberal criteria for awarding institutional aid including athletic aid.



Examine the motivations for playing soccer specifically in relationship to how that experience translates to your college goals and aspirations;


  • Why do you play soccer? Why do you spend so much time in your life and your parent’s life training, traveling, and playing outdoor and indoor?




    • To get better (why do you want to get better?)

    • To earn a college scholarship

    • To have fun




  • Do any of you play other sports?

  • Do any of you have any other activities (music, art, hobbies, etc.)

  • How many of you plan to go to college?

  • How many of you plan to play soccer in college?

  • How many of you plan to play another sport in college?


College Athletic Information (2010)

  • NCAA I (335) – 30% of NCAA colleges and universities

  • NCAA II (302) – 28% of NCAA colleges and universities

  • NCAA III (447) – 42% of NCAA colleges and universities

Statistically there is a higher probability that most of you will play at a D-III school than at a D-I or D-II school.

  • NAIA (290),

  • NCCAA (100)

  • NJCAA (525) institutions




  • How big a factor should playing soccer, athletics in general, be in your total college experience?


Core Values of College Athletics (NCAA Definition)


  • The collegiate model of athletics is one in which students-athletes participate as an avocation, balancing their academic, social and athletics experiences in their pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics.

[An avocation is an activity that one engages in as a hobby outside one's main occupation]

Key Message – playing soccer, although personally rewarding and meaningful, should be just one aspect of your total college life experience
Student Athlete Participation

“There are 420,000 student-athletes who participate in NCAA sports and 99% of them will become a professional in something other than sports.”


NCAA Resource Report – Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Level

  • Less than 3 in 50 (5.6%) of HS senior boys interscholastic soccer players will go on to play men’s soccer at an NCAA institution;

  • Less than 1 in 50 (1.6%) of NCAA senior male soccer players will be drafted by the MLS;

  • Less than 1 in 1,250 (0.07%) of HS senior boys playing interscholastic soccer will be drafted by the MLS;


Key Messages: You will likely be earning a living doing something else besides playing soccer after college;

Be aware of the statistical odds if your sole motivation for playing soccer is to play professional.
Student-Athlete Graduation Rates

  • 79% of all student-athletes entering college in 2003 earned a degree within six years compared to 63% of all others students.


Generally student-athletes tend to do better academically in college and will graduate – good news for parents.
How many of you play another sport?
NCAA Resource Report - Multi-Sport Student-Athletes:

  • 1980 about 73% of student-athletes in NCAA institutions participated in two or more sports;

  • 1990 – 55%

  • 2000 – 36%

  • 2010 – less than 21%

Famous NCAA Multi-Sport Athletes



  • Jim Brown Syracuse U. (1957) Football and Lacrosse (Lacrosse Hall of Fame)

  • Jackie Robinson UCLA Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track

  • John Elway Stanford U. (1980) Football and Baseball (1st pick of Yankees 1981)

  • Dave Winfield U. of Minnesota Baseball and Basketball (drafted Atl. Hawks)

  • Bo Jackson Auburn University Football, Baseball and Track (Bo Knows ads)

  • Donovan McNabb Syracuse U. Football and Basketball

  • Hakeem Olajuwon U. of Houston (1980) Basketball and Soccer

  • Kyle Rote Jr. OK State/Sewanee Soccer and Football

  • Chris and Matt Bahr Penn State Soccer and Football


ESPN.com and ESPN Magazine article about sport specialization causing the decline in multisport athletes:

Darius Savage is a student-athlete at UCLA – starting left guard on the football team in the fall and throws shot and discuss on the track team in the winter and spring. He is the only current multi-sport student-athlete at UCLA.


  • Do you think the overall college experience of these folks and other multi-sport student-athletes would have been better or worse if they only played one sport?




  • Will your overall college experience be better or worse if you couldn’t play more than one sport?


NCAA Resource Report - Number of student-athletes who participate in other co-curricular activities

  • 1980 about 77% of student-athletes in NCAA institutions participated in organized co-curricular activities;

  • 1990 – 61%

  • 2000 – 46%

  • 2010 – less than 30%




  • Will your overall college experience be better or worse if you don’t participate in other co-curricular activities?

There are 420,000 student-athletes who participate in NCAA sports and 99% of them will become a professional in something other than sports.”




  • What else besides soccer will prepare you for becoming a professional in that other thing?



Provide suggestions for conducting the college search process;

Establish your individual academic, athletic, and co-curricular criteria for your ideal college/university with consideration given to all the things information I’ve shared with you, including what your financial aid needs are (how are you going to fund a college education).
This is your own personal and individualized assessment of what you want and need, and not necessarily what your parents or your coaches want.
The College Search

  • Compile a list of five to eight School (ideally by the end of your junior year) that meet your personal criteria;

  • Do your homework – research the academic programs, coaching staff, program history, size, funding, etc.

  • Identify “safety” and “reach” schools:

    • Safety Schools – most likely to admit you based on your academic profile and whose soccer program priority needs match your athletic ability

    • Reach Schools – stronger academic profile and whose soccer program priority needs may not immediately match your athletic ability

  • Get Help – develop this list in conjunction with your parents, guidance counselors, coaches, friends at college, etc.


Choosing the Right College

  • Academic Reputation - Finding a match for your academic abilities and goals

  • Size and Location

  • Price – Tuition, aid and resources that match your families’ financial budget


Choosing the Right Athletic Program

  • Coaching – Finding a program whose coach and staff’s philosophies match with yours

  • Program – Make sure the program goals and objectives are compatible with you athletic goals

  • Division and Level of Competition – Finding a program that suit your skill level and matches your individual expectations from playing college soccer.


Key Message – The most important thing is finding the college that ideally matches your individual and personal academic, athletic and co-curricular goals.

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