I think the hypothetical strategy would be to dump huge freshmen classes on the track only roster, crank the miles on freshmen and sophomores on the track only roster, and hope a couple are super responders to high mileage. Or don’t crank the miles and just see who progresses from big yearly classes. But you aren’t keeping juniors and seniors unless the recruiting pitch initially was they won’t cut anyone.
Sacred Heart University, a Division 1 school, is said to have opted into the NCAA revenue sharing deal online. However, their cross country roster is still pretty large (~40), surpassing the allowed 17. Also, they just recruited about 10-11 new freshmen runners, which you can look at on their roster to see or go on Runcruit and look and their recruiting class and see on the men's side, that recruiting number is on par with the # of people they have on their team currently (10 people per year x 4=40)
From my understanding that means they aren't planning on downsizing the team?
Im just really confused, it seems like it's good news but I don't understand how it's allowed and i'm curious... is there some sort of technicality, loophole or exception here that lets them exceed 17 limit? Is it possible to opt in for some sports and opt out for others or something?
UMass Lowell is doing the same thing. They had 43 guys on their XC roster this year and have already announced a large distance recruiting class for next year.
I think anyone who committed to Sacred Heart, Lowell, or any other school doing this should decommit. You aren't going to have a roster spot in 3 years, you might not even actually have a roster spot NEXT year.
Extremely shady and unethical by the coaches. To reiterate, they are either cheating NCAA rules or they are deliberately lying to recruits and to their current team.
Two years to develop and compete without any hit to your D1 eligibility. If you land at a D1, you still have a full four years to use under the new rules. Increase your training loads and get that first and second stress fracture out of the way at JUCO instead of burning your redshirts and/or getting cut.
A better fiscal option in most circumstances considering that your first two years at university are mostly general education credits.
If you have a great GPA at JUCO, then collegiate programs feel better about signing a transfer that can handle college academics than gambling on an 18-year-old kid that could flunk out or drunk out within a year.
I make them aware of D2 and D3 as well, but those have drawbacks (D2 - lack of academic prestige, mostly small out-of-the-way schools, D3 - no athletic aid, hit-or-miss on education). Those seem to be a harder sell to both kids and their parents unless the kid is bright enough to get an academic ride to a prestige D3 institution.
Of course, it’s worth noting that this team placed 37th out of 38 teams at the NE regional. Seems like this is pretty much a club team anyhow. It is D1 in the loosest sense of the word.
Of course, it’s worth noting that this team placed 37th out of 38 teams at the NE regional. Seems like this is pretty much a club team anyhow. It is D1 in the loosest sense of the word.
Sacred Heart as a whole is one of those schools that uses athletics as a massive enrollment driver. They sponsor basically any sport you could think of. If the NCAA offered lawnmower racing as a sport beginning in 2026-27, they'd be the first school to sign up to offer it. Gets kids in the door paying tuition.
They hsve no distance scholarships and I doubt they have any in other event groups. Do you realize that their top guy ran 14:54 last year? That doesn't make varsity at a good D3.
I am advising several of my seniors to go the JC route. They won’t make it on a decent D1 roster straight out of high school but they could get better with another two years of development.
Sadly, I suspect that most will quit because of pride. I find the whole D1 or Bust mentality sad.
You can develop at a D2 school or D3 school. This is a terrible piece of advice to high schoolers imo. Get a good education while training, then transfer if you want after a year or two if you'll make another roster. There's good programs out there.
It’s the cheapest option for school, still gives kids the opportunity to develop and chase the d1 dream, and in my opinion, forces the athlete to really take a more vested interest in their training
They hsve no distance scholarships and I doubt they have any in other event groups. Do you realize that their top guy ran 14:54 last year? That doesn't make varsity at a good D3.
Okay, you must have the inside knowledge and the kids that I recruited that SIGNED A NLI to go there must have lied. NCAA must have lied too when they listed them as signed on the Eligibility Center. Some programs just aren't good, doesn't mean they don't have scholarships. But hey, you got it dude!
Two years to develop and compete without any hit to your D1 eligibility. If you land at a D1, you still have a full four years to use under the new rules. Increase your training loads and get that first and second stress fracture out of the way at JUCO instead of burning your redshirts and/or getting cut.
A better fiscal option in most circumstances considering that your first two years at university are mostly general education credits.
If you have a great GPA at JUCO, then collegiate programs feel better about signing a transfer that can handle college academics than gambling on an 18-year-old kid that could flunk out or drunk out within a year.
I make them aware of D2 and D3 as well, but those have drawbacks (D2 - lack of academic prestige, mostly small out-of-the-way schools, D3 - no athletic aid, hit-or-miss on education). Those seem to be a harder sell to both kids and their parents unless the kid is bright enough to get an academic ride to a prestige D3 institution.
The 4 years of competition in 5 years rule still applies. JUCO starts the clock still. The lawsuit was for Diego Pavia, only affected football, and only for those who graduated from a JUCO within a specific 1 or 2 year period. So right now, this is bad advice.
Honestly the best route would be to go to any school (D1, D2, NAIA, D3, JUCO), redshirt freshman year (if you can redshirt at a JUCO, I've never look into that as an option), compete unattached (so you get some marks) and see what the landscape looks like each year, as it's ever changing. That preserves 4 years of eligibility.
Two years to develop and compete without any hit to your D1 eligibility. If you land at a D1, you still have a full four years to use under the new rules. Increase your training loads and get that first and second stress fracture out of the way at JUCO instead of burning your redshirts and/or getting cut.
A better fiscal option in most circumstances considering that your first two years at university are mostly general education credits.
If you have a great GPA at JUCO, then collegiate programs feel better about signing a transfer that can handle college academics than gambling on an 18-year-old kid that could flunk out or drunk out within a year.
I make them aware of D2 and D3 as well, but those have drawbacks (D2 - lack of academic prestige, mostly small out-of-the-way schools, D3 - no athletic aid, hit-or-miss on education). Those seem to be a harder sell to both kids and their parents unless the kid is bright enough to get an academic ride to a prestige D3 institution.
The 4 years of competition in 5 years rule still applies. JUCO starts the clock still. The lawsuit was for Diego Pavia, only affected football, and only for those who graduated from a JUCO within a specific 1 or 2 year period. So right now, this is bad advice.
Honestly the best route would be to go to any school (D1, D2, NAIA, D3, JUCO), redshirt freshman year (if you can redshirt at a JUCO, I've never look into that as an option), compete unattached (so you get some marks) and see what the landscape looks like each year, as it's ever changing. That preserves 4 years of eligibility.
Which guy are you referring to? The 10th one on the roster, or the 40th?
Sacred Heart as a whole is one of those schools that uses athletics as a massive enrollment driver. They sponsor basically any sport you could think of. If the NCAA offered lawnmower racing as a sport beginning in 2026-27, they'd be the first school to sign up to offer it. Gets kids in the door paying tuition.
this ^ - Bobby V was the old AD there and flipped the script on athletics and recruiting. He’s an icon in the tristate area and has connections galore. The wrestling team typically has the largest D1 roster in the country (over 50 kids) and embraced female wrestling. It’s a smart move to use sports and the branding of a D1 program as an enrollment driver in the current environment. And kids luv Sacred Heart, it’s a fun school