2021 recruits and even 2022 face more challenges

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Update: the NCAA confirmed this announcement on Wednesday.

The NCAA Division I Council is set to extend the recruiting dead period for all Division I sports through May 31, according to a report from The Athletic on Wednesday. NCAA announced an extension of the recruiting dead period until April 15, back in November.

“The COVID-19 numbers are not trending in the right direction for the Council to allow in-person recruiting and the associated long-distance travel for coaches, prospective student-athletes and their families,” Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania, said at the time.

The additional six weeks added on the recruiting dead period is a bleak outlook for 2021 recruits hoping for a late chance with soccer coaches during the spring and for 2022 recruits hoping to make an official on-campus visit before committing. The possibility of June being open to recruiting would align with the club soccer playoffs but that might be an overly optimistic outlook considering the cautious nature of the DI Council over the past year.

Division II and Division III loosened restrictions on recruiting last year.

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Sorry but if you are a nonrecuited 2021 count it as over. It sucks but coaches moved on ages ago and your admission applications were already due. Maybe you can get a walk on spot as a practice cone and can work your way to some playing time - just as long as it's your dream school and you are realistic about the challenges.

2022s still have some time but top spots are gone. There will be fewer spots and $ in general because of the 5th years and deferrals. Don't stop hustling and make sure a parent is taping games (coaches are asking for game footage). Make sure you stay healthy and plan on summer ID events.

Its been a crap year for kids in general, but trying to get recruited adds much more stress. I feel terrible for them all. Best wishes.

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Sorry but if you are a nonrecuited 2021 count it as over. It sucks but coaches moved on ages ago and your admission applications were already due. Maybe you can get a walk on spot as a practice cone and can work your way to some playing time - just as long as it's your dream school and you are realistic about the challenges.

2022s still have some time but top spots are gone. There will be fewer spots and $ in general because of the 5th years and deferrals. Don't stop hustling and make sure a parent is taping games (coaches are asking for game footage). Make sure you stay healthy and plan on summer ID events.

Its been a crap year for kids in general, but trying to get recruited adds much more stress. I feel terrible for them all. Best wishes.

Surprisingly good post for this site. I believe there are still lots of schools in need of 2022 players, however. Covid has made the prime recruiting time for this class challenging at best. There are lots of schools and outs of spots to fill rosters.

The extra year of eligibility makes things unknown in my mind. I’m joy even sure how those kids count against the scholarship numbers. If they count against (which I assume they do), will coaches honor that 5 year for all players? Not sure.

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Sorry for the typos / autocorrect.

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Sorry but if you are a nonrecuited 2021 count it as over. It sucks but coaches moved on ages ago and your admission applications were already due. Maybe you can get a walk on spot as a practice cone and can work your way to some playing time - just as long as it's your dream school and you are realistic about the challenges.

2022s still have some time but top spots are gone. There will be fewer spots and $ in general because of the 5th years and deferrals. Don't stop hustling and make sure a parent is taping games (coaches are asking for game footage). Make sure you stay healthy and plan on summer ID events.

Its been a crap year for kids in general, but trying to get recruited adds much more stress. I feel terrible for them all. Best wishes.

Co sign
This poster is 100% spot on.

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Surprisingly good post for this site. I believe there are still lots of schools in need of 2022 players, however. Covid has made the prime recruiting time for this class challenging at best. There are lots of schools and outs of spots to fill rosters.

The extra year of eligibility makes things unknown in my mind. I’m joy even sure how those kids count against the scholarship numbers. If they count against (which I assume they do), will coaches honor that 5 year for all players? Not sure.

Just a reminder to ask the college coaches that are recruiting your kid if they are awarding ATHLETIC scholarships for the players that are awarded that extra year of eligibility. Just because the NCAA awarded the extra year does NOT mean that the coach/college will renew the athletic scholarship.

The school that my daughter signed with to told her that they would NOT be renewing the athletic scholarships for any of the seniors awarded that extra year. Also don't forget not all kids want to play that extra year. Some are tired of the grind, training, injuries, and college in general.

Plus some coaches don't want some of the players to return back. Especially coaches that inherited a roster full of players they did not recruit. Some players are good for certain styles or formations of soccer.

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the 5th years are less of the issue because not many will be delaying graduating or happen to be going to grad school at the same school. It's the many kids who deferred because there wasn't going to be sports or a decent school experience this year.

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the 5th years are less of the issue because not many will be delaying graduating or happen to be going to grad school at the same school. It's the many kids who deferred because there wasn't going to be sports or a decent school experience this year.

Good point. However regardless of what class the player is it is up to the coaches if they want to grant another year of eligibility on athletic scholarship or not. This could end up being a very sticky situation for some colleges and coaches if it isn't handled properly.

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Good point. However regardless of what class the player is it is up to the coaches if they want to grant another year of eligibility on athletic scholarship or not. This could end up being a very sticky situation for some colleges and coaches if it isn't handled properly.

If a player wants to stay and the coach likes them of course they will keep them and honor any scholarship $. It's the right thing to do. A coach can't revoke eligibility per se but he can tell a player he/she isn't going to play at all and see if they still want to stay. Many probably wouldn't unless just being a practice player is ok to them. The reality in college soccer, regardless of Covid, is your spot is always at risk and you have to fight for it all the time. This just makes it even tougher.

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If a player wants to stay and the coach likes them of course they will keep them and honor any scholarship $. It's the right thing to do. A coach can't revoke eligibility per se but he can tell a player he/she isn't going to play at all and see if they still want to stay. Many probably wouldn't unless just being a practice player is ok to them. The reality in college soccer, regardless of Covid, is your spot is always at risk and you have to fight for it all the time. This just makes it even tougher.

Spot on!

That's why (1) you better commit to a school that you would attend regardless of soccer and (2) you better get all the academic scholarships and grants you can from the college in addition to the athletic money.

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Surprisingly good post for this site. I believe there are still lots of schools in need of 2022 players, however. Covid has made the prime recruiting time for this class challenging at best. There are lots of schools and outs of spots to fill rosters.

The extra year of eligibility makes things unknown in my mind. I’m joy even sure how those kids count against the scholarship numbers. If they count against (which I assume they do), will coaches honor that 5 year for all players? Not sure.

We know some players that are sitting out of college a "gap year" and staying in touch with coaches and plan on continuing to train with their club team. In effect, taking a red shirt year without stepping on campus.

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the 5th years are less of the issue because not many will be delaying graduating or happen to be going to grad school at the same school. It's the many kids who deferred because there wasn't going to be sports or a decent school experience this year.

At our daughter's college they have an outstanding "co-op" program with Fortune 500 companies in Boston - basically you take a semester off, fully paid, 40-hours a week. Several players are opting for the 5th year, delaying graduation and taking 2-3 co-ops along the way. Their coach has agreed to extend their funding (for most players).

If you're a coach and have the option to fund an accomplished 22-23 year old woman with 4+ years of college soccer under their belt, compared to a rising freshman, 18 year old girl with no college playing experience it's an easy choice.

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At our daughter's college they have an outstanding "co-op" program with Fortune 500 companies in Boston - basically you take a semester off, fully paid, 40-hours a week. Several players are opting for the 5th year, delaying graduation and taking 2-3 co-ops along the way. Their coach has agreed to extend their funding (for most players).

If you're a coach and have the option to fund an accomplished 22-23 year old woman with 4+ years of college soccer under their belt, compared to a rising freshman, 18 year old girl with no college playing experience it's an easy choice.

It's an easy choice...for now!

IMO if that situation isn't managed properly it can bring a program down very fast. You need those 18 year olds to maintain the programs and take it forward. The life line of ANY college sport if recruiting. If you don't do that then you are screwed. It might be a case of instant gratification now but suffer the consequences later.

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At our daughter's college they have an outstanding "co-op" program with Fortune 500 companies in Boston - basically you take a semester off, fully paid, 40-hours a week. Several players are opting for the 5th year, delaying graduation and taking 2-3 co-ops along the way. Their coach has agreed to extend their funding (for most players).

If you're a coach and have the option to fund an accomplished 22-23 year old woman with 4+ years of college soccer under their belt, compared to a rising freshman, 18 year old girl with no college playing experience it's an easy choice.

So....she's at Northeastern. Great school but very few schools have co-op programs like that. For most to stay a 5th year you either have added a 2nd major or are doing grad school. If you're paying some money (as most will be) then that's a large expense and better be worth it academically/professionally, not because you want to play another year

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So....she's at Northeastern. Great school but very few schools have co-op programs like that. For most to stay a 5th year you either have added a 2nd major or are doing grad school. If you're paying some money (as most will be) then that's a large expense and better be worth it academically/professionally, not because you want to play another year

Many athletes need to take the Fall of the 5th year anyway because of the scheduling demands of D1 sports (unless they are consistently taking Summer classes) so playing that Fall semester is a bonus. Fewer athletes graduate in 4 years.