What to do when DI money is gone for your class

[arkansassoftball]

Question: What do you do when all the Division I scholarship money is gone for your class?

With the increase in early verbals, more and more talented student-athletes and parents are hearing, “Sorry, we are out of scholarship money in your class.”

That’s no reason, however, that you have to give up on the dream of playing for a BCS, Top 25 or mid-major Division I program. There are a few options to still achieve the dream as long as the talent is there and you do your homework.

Here is a great article from Student Sports Softball that helps answer the question:
http://gcsm.websitetoolbox.com/file?id=1761049

[PDad]

Thanks for calling attention to that article as it makes several good points.

1) Invited walk-on: There can be a difference for IWOs - NCAA rules prohibit some benefits for players not receiving athletic money. For example, they may have to pay for training table meals.

2) Red shirt:: This seems like a variation on the IWO with the distinction of not playing that year.

3) JuCo is a good option for lots of kids for various reasons. Maggie Ham actually started at a D1, ULL, and then went to the JuCo for a year before going to OU.

JuCo's are used a couple of different ways for baseball. Some D1 programs wil steer a kid to a specific JuCo with the understanding they'll take them in a year or two. The big appeal of JuCo for baseball is MLB's draft rules - they're eligible for the draft those years whereas players at a 4-year school aren't eligible until after their junior year.

[arkansassoftball]

True that Ham had transferred there, but Butler also had 5 other players sign Division I last year who had played both years at Butler including 1 other to Big 12, 1 to SEC, 1 to MVC & 2 to BigEast. Two others turned down DI offers. They also had 3 signed DI in 2012, 7 in 2011, etc, and already has one this season signed to Arkansas in the SEC.

[PDad]

True that Ham had transferred there, but Butler also had 5 other players sign Division I last year who had played both years at Butler including 1 other to Big 12, 1 to SEC, 1 to MVC & 2 to BigEast. Two others turned down DI offers. They also had 3 signed DI in 2012, 7 in 2011, etc, and already has one this season signed to Arkansas in the SEC.

I was merely pointing out that Ham wasn't a very good example. They should have used a more appropriate one.

A girl from our HS went to a local JuCo because she had an ACL injury. She had a good year and was recruited by a D1 the following fall to play that spring.

[PDad]

I thought if you started D1 and went JUCO you had to complete your AA degree before you could go back to a D1

That is a stated requirement for 4-2-4 transfers. However, like many NCAA regs, there are also exceptions and waivers.

[TheCloser]

If you're a low income elite athlete you're probably in good shape if you don't get any athletic money because you can qualify for financial aid. I saw on StudentSports.com that Arkansas has 11 verbals in the 2015 class. I imagine with 12 scholarships for each team total that many of those girls aren't getting any athletic money or are getting a combination of financial aid and athletic money.

Just doing the math it looks like many Pac 12, SEC, Big 12, and Big 10 schools that work this angle definitely over recruit using these factors. I heard schools like Arizona have like 35 to 40 girls on their team but only roster 25 and travel 20.