College Recruit Time Standards - Different Out of State for Alabama

Southern Boy wrote:

Hey, I am a male junior distance runner and interested in running in college. I have looked at several college sites and see many of the distance times listed are around 4:20 and 9:20.

Alabama actually has different times listed for in-state and out-of-state walk-ons. Do other schools have that too? I know that colleges are often harder to get into out-of state but I haven't heard of that for college teams before. It seems silly.

After tryouts I can see it now...

Coach: "I know you are a better runner than Luke but Luke's from Bama"

http://www.rolltide.com/sports/2016/6/10/sports-c-xctrack-spec-rel-walk-on-standards-html.aspx

Are there other schools that do this? Does you think they really practice this?

It's to get home grown talent there. I know EKU does the same thing so I'm guessing it's a common thing.

Since most state universities in Alabama have different tuition rates for in state vs out of state students, it makes a lot of sense. If in state tuition is $12k annually and out of state is $30k annually, a 20% scholarship will cost his budget far less with an in state kid ($2,400 vs $6,000).

Number of scholarship matter but do so total dollars. Otherwise you wouldn't see some schools taking back gear after trips and at the end of the season. And yes this happens at several big schools.

Lub:

Thanks for your reply. I can understand the scholarship issues but these are stated as walk-on times and would not involve scholarships. That is the part that I think is odd.

Fairly new to this site. I wouldn't have thought of posting until I saw this minutes after looking at Alabama's standards.

I'm out of state(Utah), and my times weren't good enough from HS to make the team(I'm a freshman now, but luckily I'm having a good enough unattached season that I might catch coach Water's eye).

I personally find his goal recruitment times ridiculous... If I could have ran a 4:05 mile last year I doubt Alabama would have been in my sights(I came for the presidential scholarship anyway).

Bama Boy:

That's funny. I too am qualified for the presidential scholarship. I would have never looked into Alabama but heard of the scholarships that they offer. How do you like Bama? Do you know any of the cross country track team? If so, do you know how they like the team and coaches?

Here's two things for you:

1. Big schools generally have pressure from administration to have a certain amount of in-state athletes. Therefore they would ease the guidelines for in-state runners to allow more in.

2. Those guidelines don't really mean anything. Their biggest purpose is to steer 4:50 milers away from the coach's inbox. Just because you're not under 4:10 or whatever, does not mean you can't get a scholarship there. Depends on who they have coming in already and their level of desperation really

You have no idea what you are talking about. A school like Alabama has 12.6 scholarships and they divide them up by percentage. It doesn't matter to the coach one bit if the kid is out of state or in state. 20% of a scholarship is 20% of one of his 12.6 regardless of where the kid is from. They don't deal in dollar amounts, percentage only. Dollars mean nothing to the accounting of the FTE when the coach is giving out scholarship.

State schools like to give in state kids more of a chance, so generally will have lower standards for locals. Nothing more to it than that.

I don't run for the team but am on a Presidential scholarship at Alabama and am from Maryland. It has a good honors program and lots of great people. Since you can go there tuition free it's a great opportunity no matter if you can run on the team or not.

I love it here. I've met with the head coach a couple times and he seems serious about what he does, and I think that's a good quality to have in a coach. I enjoy the campus life here, I was debating between here, CSM and USC and I think this was the better choice.

Southern Boy wrote:

Bama Boy:

That's funny. I too am qualified for the presidential scholarship. I would have never looked into Alabama but heard of the scholarships that they offer. How do you like Bama? Do you know any of the cross country track team? If so, do you know how they like the team and coaches?

UA loves recruiting out of state kids with its Presidential Scholarships for its general student population, over half the student body is now out of state. Seen UA at many track meets and seen them put plenty of runners on the track that can't hit those published walk on standards. Can't hurt to drop by and try to talk to the coach or an assistant if you are in the neighborhood of their walk on marks.

Their standards are absurd: to be recruited for the girls 1600 the time is 4:48. You know how many juniors ran that last year? 8! Seriously, you will only take the top 8 female milers in the country to recruit. Ridiculous. Luckily their 800 standard is much more reasonable, 2:06.....oh wait, only 5 girls ran that. 10:30 in the 3200 is surely the trick because there's a whopping 11 girls who ran that of which I'm sure exactly 0 are dying to run at 'Bama.......

West Coast breast coast wrote:

You have no idea what you are talking about. A school like Alabama has 12.6 scholarships and they divide them up by percentage. It doesn't matter to the coach one bit if the kid is out of state or in state. 20% of a scholarship is 20% of one of his 12.6 regardless of where the kid is from. They don't deal in dollar amounts, percentage only. Dollars mean nothing to the accounting of the FTE when the coach is giving out scholarship.

State schools like to give in state kids more of a chance, so generally will have lower standards for locals. Nothing more to it than that.

I do not know Alabama's specific funding for T&F/CC but unless a sport is a headcount sport (for D1 men it is BCS football and basketball), the university is not required to fully fund the non headcount sports. They are only limited to a maximum of funding - for men's T&F/CC it is 12.6. That 12.6 is equivalent to the total cost of tuition, room, board, books and fees. The thing is most D1 colleges do not fund 12.6 worth of total scholarships. The majority have a total budget that is less than what the 12.6 would cost and have to manage to those lesser budgets. Some may allocate a % of tuition or provide books but many use a total dollar amount instead. A kid out of state at a state school is going to cost more against their budget if they are allocating a % of tuition.

I don't go to Alabama, but having gone through the recruiting process recently, the best guidelines are to check out the high school times of people on the roster. For instance, this kid on Alabama's team has similar times to you and is from out of state. Just email the coach. http://www.rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3360

Dan Waters is a complete anus. Trust me, you do not want to be on the team unless you want to hate your college experience

Thanks. That's what I'm going to do. I just wondered if it was common to have different in-state .vs out-of-state standards. I hope to get my junior outdoor times around 4:18. Hopefully I can at least walk on most places.

Recently recruited wrote:

I don't go to Alabama, but having gone through the recruiting process recently, the best guidelines are to check out the high school times of people on the roster. For instance, this kid on Alabama's team has similar times to you and is from out of state. Just email the coach.

http://www.rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3360

Well I don't want a bad experience for sure but I have my tuition paid for and money is a factor. If I quit the team, I can still enjoy being a student and all the coeds!Can you give any details?

Therunner12 wrote:

Dan Waters is a complete anus. Trust me, you do not want to be on the team unless you want to hate your college experience

Good to know you like it!

Bama boy wrote:

I love it here. I've met with the head coach a couple times and he seems serious about what he does, and I think that's a good quality to have in a coach. I enjoy the campus life here, I was debating between here, CSM and USC and I think this was the better choice.

Southern Boy wrote:

Bama Boy:

That's funny. I too am qualified for the presidential scholarship. I would have never looked into Alabama but heard of the scholarships that they offer. How do you like Bama? Do you know any of the cross country track team? If so, do you know how they like the team and coaches?