Bait and Switch: Schools not following through on verbal scholarship offers - How common is it? What's the solution?

Tell Mike Rossi to Enter a NCAA women's 5k and see if he doesn't come in last place

30 Years ago, I would estimate 40% of the non revenue sport athletes did not make 4 years. I would estimate 60% of the revenue sport athletes did not make 4 years. Most were forced out.

All those Junior College Transfers that play football-----Whose scholarship do you think they're taking.

My positive experience at a Power 5 school.

Only person I knew to be promised scholarship and not receive it was someone who got themselves ineligible.

Only people I knew to have scholarships reduced or pulled where ones who either got themselves ineligible or in trouble with the law.

Many people received scholarship as they improved.

Remaining scholarship during the season was divided among deserving seniors.

I saw a number of people struggle athletically. As long as they were progressing academically and showing up to practice their money was left alone.

People wonder how Oregon stretches its scholarship money amongst distance, mid distance, field and short sprinters. The assumption being that something improper is going on regarding tuition or grants or Nike money. The article shed a little light into the type of athletes, middle class to upper middle class, they get with empty promises but that can still afford taking a partial.

I have seen the scholarship bait and switch work in a different way.

Several years back I had a high school teammate who was quite good, and there was a particular school he wanted to go to very badly (and many others that wanted to go there to. Very popular school that I wont name) They discussed scholarship money and the coach kept putting it off saying that they will talk about it after the season based on what he runs. He ended up finishing second at state and being one of the top 30 or so in the nation, and had several offers during the season from other schools. But the main school kept saying "just wait, just wait"....until all the other scholarship offers were pulled for other kids. Then the coach came and said "....we we dont have any money this year, but we would love you to walk on."

My teammate decided to attend that school anyways, but chose not to run for that coach. Especially after he heard from others at the school that it was a pretty common tactic for the guy.

I attended a school specially to start an XC program. The AD said that he could not offer me a scholarship for my freshman year because my sport didn't exist yet--understandable. XC was scheduled to start my sophomore year but if I wanted a scholarship, I could try out for another sport. I tried out and made the baseball team but that coach told me he could only offer me $1000 a year because I was not that good at baseball--understandable. The AD said when they were ready to launch the XC team, we would sit and talk about the scholarship situation. That year I recruited a full men's and women's team (granted I was throwing some good money at people who were not great to score as a team), I scheduled our first year's competition, made all the travel arrangements. When the school failed to hire a coach that first year, I planned all the training. When my meeting with the AD came around, he said school policy was to maintain the scholarship level that the student agreed to when he/she enrolls. I felt duped. When the school increased its tuition from $13K per year to $19K per year (dating myself) without any additional aid money it was (and still is) a burden.

Psalty wrote:

Does everyone live in Maryland?? I could use some summer running buddies, I live south west of Baltimore

What's the minimum amount I need to be able to run and the minimum pace per mile I need to be able to run. I'm in AWFUL shape. Probably slower than I've been since about age 4.

Other thoughts wrote:

Seems like a lot of debate over something that comes off as hearsay. No one is entitled to a scholarship. Colleges choose to award scholarships based on the decision of their coaching staff.

Why is this being presented as a fair and objective process? It's no different than than how the overwhelming majority of employers treat their employees.

Life is not fair, no one owes you a thing.

Exactly my point. Colleges should be better than the average employer.

No one is entitled to it. But if you are told one thing and get another, that's wrong. Ideally, I also think the scholarship should be for 4 years assuming people put forth an effort. I know that's tough as athletes could totally slack off - go through the motions. So maybe there is a way to figure it out??

Big ten school wrote:

Short version:

Daughter was not top ranked nationally, but was decent and so recruited by many schools. She eventually took a 1/2 athletic scholarship at a big ten school. She was injured the first year, but the coach kept his word which was something like: "If a runner tries hard and remains committed, a scholarship will never be reduced." She loved being on the team, but was frustrated that she only improved slightly on her high school times through out her career and only made it to NCAA regionals once - barely. The coach honored his word 100% and supported 1/2 her whole college career.

So.... Some coaches do keep their word.

Big 10 schools are required by the conference to keep a scholarship at the same level unless a runner quits the team.

KnowsStuff wrote:

What Ms. Hiltz failed to mention is that the lack of enthusiasm from UofO staff was entirely due to non-track issues. Dat broad is not exactly a model citizen.

No lie y'all. I KnowsStuff.

You aren't talking about the little girl who's Twitter model was "I am a walking party" are you? You think her coaches got tired of her act?

I was a multiple time all-american and top runner on a team that was lucky to qualify for cross country nationals before and after I was part of the program. The coach and I had a 5-year plan and he purposely had me red-shirted a few seasons. However when I had a minor injury during the fall of my senior year the head coach reneged on his promise for a 5th year. He said it "was a good recruiting class". I felt crushed and betrayed. I attended grad school at another school on full scholarship. As the new school's top runner I helped our team squeak into cross country nationals while my old team failed to qualify that year - karma.

I started off at a then-NAIA school (now DII) on scholarship. Qualified for NAIA Nats as an individual (had I not been on the winning team as well) in cross, running sub-26:00 three times as a frosh. Had a tough second semester with multiple injuries largely due to an insane coach. All it took was one sub-par - and I mean SLIGHTLY sub-par - race to get the "you know, I'll probably have to cut your scholarship" talk. Bailed at the start of my sophomore year and transferred to a DI school in a power conference. Difference was night and day, and I'm thankful to this day that I escaped.

The coach at my first school did the one thing to me that I truly thought was impossible: He not only made me stop loving running, he made me hate it. It was shear luck that I got the opportunity to transfer and not only recover my passion for the sport, but actually have it increase. I still feel bad for the guys who never got out like I did.

Now, that said, there are plenty of coaches on the other side. For example, Bill Snyder at Kansas State is notorious for rewarding hard-working walk-ons with scholarships. One was a guy named Jordy Nelson. But there are coaches who are simply tyrannical, abusive despots who delight in the power they hold over a kid's future and those coaches should be exposed whenever possible.

Yes indeed wrote:

These kinds of scholarship reductions/removals occur all the time. It depends on the school and its coaching staff, but again, it happens all the time. At my mid-pack D1 school in one of the big conferences, this happened to several people every year. People who had underperformed during the year always dreaded their year-end scholarship meeting with the head coach.

This absolutely did not happen at the mid pack DI school I went to.

In fact, we had a guy get injured his freshman year in such a way that he couldn't run competitively any more. They kept him on scholarship for the remaining three years, even though he specifically suggested to the coaches that they should take his money away, since he couldn't run.

We also had a teammate tear his ACL playing IM sports, and even he didn't have his scholarship reduced.

I don't think most schools will reduce scholarships. But I would suggest to all current and future college athletes:

1) If a coach verbally tells you they will give you $x for X performance, ask for it in writing.

2) If a program is mistreating athletes (reducing scholarship or not living up to verbal agreements absolutely is mistreating athletes), tell the entire running world.

Oregon has reached exalted status as a program, so they have power to draw athletes. As a result, they probably feel like they can get away with reducing scholarships. Maybe they can right now. But if enough athletes refuse to give in and broadcast their mistreatment, they should see their recruits drying up. Eventually they'll be forced to treat their athletes with a basic level of respect.

How did you get so smart? Thanks for your brilliance, Mensa. I bet no one has ever thought of your two step program

That said, I also bet it works less well when you repeatedly skip training because of hang overs.

At a lot of schools AD have the final say on increases. Athletes or parents don;t understand this. Some reasons are schools even state schools want big rosters which means paying bodies, coaches are given a budget and AD's are many times looking at the entire department budget. As noted in many post, coaches offer new recruits big money to get them in the door and many times to keep their jobs (roster numbers). It is a business and it is a part that not only do athletes dislike but many coaches do as well. So students have loans to pay off, coaches have families to support. Getting it in writing is great, but then when kids don't meet expectations in writing they expect to keep their money. It works both ways. Seen it as an athlete as a coach.