Here we are in the middle of September, and we are still battling the coronavirus pandemic. Not only has this pandemic affected everyone in the country, but our student athletes (specifically high school recruits) have been impacted severely. With so much uncertainty entering into this fall, where do our athletes stand in the recruiting process for the 2021-2022 class?
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Unanswered Recruiting Questions
Those athletes who committed for the 2020 fall season should be safe, however for the recruits of the 2021-2022 class there is a lot of uncertainty. As of right now, the NCAA has extended in-person recruiting until the end of this month, September 30th. However, with many high schools cancelling fall sports, or those spring sports that were impacted, how can the athletes be recruited? There are many unanswered questions floating around from the athletes, their parents, and high school coaches.
Digital Recruiting
With many sports and camps being canceled, postponed, or rescheduled it is not leaving a lot of time for the athletes to be seen. Women’s softball, for example, relies on those camps, tournaments and showcases for recruiting. Every state is different with allowing students to participate in sports. To try and alleviate some of the hardship of recruiting, colleges have opted for a digital way of recruiting. Recruiters and coaches have viewed millions of online student athlete profiles. Yet, with a limited number of spots on the roster, many will not get the chance to continue on to play sports in college.
Limited Roster Spots & Scholarships
The biggest issue with the recruiting class of 2021-2022 is how the NCAA has granted another year of eligibility to those athletes currently on the rosters in college. With many athletes accepting the extra year, it does not leave many spots on the rosters for new recruits. Our current high school athletes are paying the ultimate price. All of the hard work they have put in up to this point may be lost.
For more information on current rules and regulations with the NCAA and sports during this pandemic, you can go to: https://www.ncsasports.org/coronavirus-sports#top
