… Fall Recruiting.
The 2022 NFCA Convention wrapped up over the weekend with more than 1,600 attendees descending on San Antonio for the event, which, by all standards was a big success.
Read our wrap-piece on the event by clicking HERE.
On the Extra Inning Softball side, we had two people there—myself (Brentt Eads) and Justin McLeod—to enjoy everything from catching up with long-time coaching friends to seeing and hearing the latest in the sport via the Softball Summit, the Exhibition Hall with 110 companies/vendors and the educational sessions, particularly the seminars, workshops and “caucuses.”
In the Division 1 caucus, a change was proposed that has caused more than a bit of consternation: the idea that fall recruiting would stop—meaning college coaches couldn’t or wouldn’t go off-campus to events. Camps on college campuses would continue to be held, however, but recruiting at off-site tournaments would cease.
From one position–the travel ball and event production side, in particular, and even some non-Power 5 programs–top club events from the September through December would lose their key advantage of having college coaches come and watch teams and players who would, instead, take that window of time to go to college camps where they would get seen and evaluated there.
How big of a topic was this?
Even in the days after the Convention wrapped up, we had coaches and event directors calling us to pick our brains on what we had heard and what our thoughts were on how this would impact college and club fastpitch in the fall.
Some, on one side, saw this as a way to lessen the travel ball expenses for club coaches, players and teams who feel compelled to get out and showcase their talents in front of college scouts through the latter half of the year, as much as is done in the summer (though not in the spring, as most states play high school ball during that season; a notable few do play prep ball in the fall, including Georgia and Colorado, among others).
On the flip side, some stated that they felt this was a power play by top DI programs—particularly those in the Power 5 conferences—to decrease the importance of the current fall events and, instead, make money for themselves by having top prospects visit their own campuses and pay for their elite camps.
Simply, the intent some feared, was to legislatively block fall club events by making it a non-recruiting period where college coaches couldn’t go to these events but instead would benefit from recruitable athletes going to them and, not insignificantly, make good money because they have the clout to get top prospects to come onto their campuses.
According to multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of what went on in the Division 1 caucus, the mental health of those coaches was frequently dwelt upon by those in favor of the proposal. D1 coaches noted the advantage of the recruiting cut-back would be more opportunities to spend time with their own teams and with their families, instead of being on the road every weekend for the better part of two fall months.
One coach, who spoke during an open-mic period at the Softball Summit on Friday afternoon, noted that this proposal—if passed—would provide not just more opportunities for college coaches to spend time with their teams and families, but that evaluating prospects could still occur through the camps.
Of the handful of college coaches we talked to who were opposed to the concept, some feared that big-name schools in Power 5 conferences would be able to draw in campers putting mid-major programs and smaller schools at a disadvantage.
One college coach from a non-Power 5 DI program stated under condition of being off the record:
“This would allow the rich to get richer and widen the gap between Power 5’s and other DI’s while making them a lot of money and hurting those coaches willing to work hard and go see players at events across the country.”
It’s important to note that numerous smaller DI school coaches are in favor of the change, seeing it as a net positive for their personal mental and emotional health, especially with the increased time to be at home and less time and stress traveling on the road to evaluate prospective student-athletes.
Interesting positions, for sure, on both sides and the topic looks to continue being discussed—especially if proposed legislation is advanced and the idea of no Fall Recruiting gets serious consideration.
What are YOUR thoughts on the subject?
If you want to go on record and express your position or, perhaps, share your opinion off-record, we’d love to hear what you have to say.
Email me at: brentt.eads@extrainningsoftball.com.
Brentt Eads, President & Executive Editor
Extra Inning Softball
