January 28, 2008
NCSA Survey Shows College Coaches Are Now Looking Beyond Only Athletic Ability as the Main Factor in Recruiting
Chicago, IL (January 27, 2008) – The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) announced its annual college coach survey results. More than 1,000 college coaches from around the country participated, answering critical recruiting questions that every aspiring college athlete must know. Many of the responses challenge current conventional knowledge of how the recruiting process works.
College coaches who responded to the survey were asked to rate what separates a recruit from the rest of the pack. Seventy three percent of college coaches rated attitude as their number one factor in deciding between recruits. Forty four percent indicated that having an established relationship with a student-athlete was their number one factor overall in recruiting.
“Stricter NCAA regulations governing recruiting timelines, focus on student-athlete graduation rates as measured by the NCSA Power Rankings*, and streaming video are the primary factors that are changing the recruiting rulebook,” said NCSA CEO and President Chris Krause. “With the advent of the APR, which holds the individual colleges accountable for their graduation rates and has a direct impact on scholarship dollars, it has become increasingly important for college coaches to recruit the right student-athlete. It has never been clearer that a student-athlete’s ability to package their character and attributes and communicate effectively to college coaches is mandatory in order to gain a competitive edge.”
Coaches were also asked what year they began identifying student-athletes, and they responded with an overwhelming 82% identifying their recruits as freshman (16%), sophomores (26%) and juniors (46%). Unofficial visits have been recognized as the coach’s top way to communicate with recruits while 42% preferred a proactive phone call from a student-athlete.
"When it comes to recruiting, old myths die hard," said Krause. “Student-athletes around the country still think that if they are good enough, they will be discovered. This myth is perpetuated by the amounts of mass mailings sent out by college coaches and the misconception regarding the significance of such mailings. Different sports have different rules, but if you're a junior and haven't been on the phone with a college coach or visited a college campus, you are undoubtedly behind the eight ball."
The full results of the survey will be available on NCSA’s Web site, www.ncsasports.org on February 15, 2008.
ABOUT NCSA
Since 2000, NCSA has been the leader in collegiate scouting by pioneering cutting edge technology, providing world class service and educating student-athletes, athletic directors and college coaches around the country. * For more information on the NCSA and their Collegiate Power Rankings visit www.ncsasports.org