I'm sure this is a good move in the long run, but it really puts current athletes and incoming ones in a tough position. A 4 year transition process into D1 will likely hurt recruiting for the next few years.
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This is the same as every travel team jumping to premier .... ruins soccer in the long run ... everyone cant have a parade. -
It's probably obvious to some but why?Originally posted by Guest View Post
Also keep in mind the COVID aftermath will still be working itself off and there in general will be more recruits to places than pre COVID. Might be just the time to do it.
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These people aren't stupid and they are projecting years in advance. While I trust their judgement I have to think that the white upper-middle class Catholic base is shrinking and all but a handful of private schools in NE have very challenging times ahead. Some won't make it. Whether Stonehill/others have Div.1 sports or not probably isn't going to help solve that problem. Are there enough White people with ability to pay huge tuition and take big loans?Comment
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No need to throw race into the equation but yes some of these schools are going to struggle to survive. Low level D1 athletics isn't going to make much of a difference on its own but could if it's part of a broader plan. I have family that lives near Sacred Heart in CT and it's crazy how much they have expanded. Schools have to adapt and change because the old model isn't going to sustain them in the long term.Originally posted by Guest View PostComment
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If a student has good grades and decent ECs they will get at least $120,000 in "scholarships" and merit aid over 4 years.Originally posted by Guest View PostComment
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The men's soccer team will pick up 0.9 of a scholarship(D2 max is 9; D1 max is 9.9) if they are fully funded. The women's team will gain 4.1 scholarships.Originally posted by Guest View Post
The football team will gain 27 scholarships.
The school will get a piece of the NCAA March Madness revenue.
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Originally posted by Guest View Post
What drives most college sports - $$$$$ from the top two sports. And if it wasn't for football scholarships most women's teams would be halved.Comment
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Imagine the payday for Stonehill when Notre Dame schedules them to play in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus.Comment
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This comes down to whether or not Stonehill has the financial chops fully fund the athletic programs. If you look around the Northeast at conferences like the MAAC, not all schools have full funding for women's soccer. That's why the same few teams win most years. Scholarhships and an expanded team travel and recruting budget are considerations.
Recruiting is a different story. While there certainly players at Stonehill that can easily compete at low level D1, the majority cannot. There's a reason why players can't crack D1 and it is typically phyiscal. Most players in D2 lack the physical attributes that their peers in D1 have....size, height, speed and of course technical ability. D2 games are basically roller derby.
Stonehill will have time to transition but that's not an easy recrutiing pitch...hey come here and you'll be D1 in a few years. and by the way they will still do it while bound by D2 scholarship limitations.
The positives are that Stonehill is a pretty solid school, has a really nice campus and has pretty nice appeal. For women's soccer they'll need to target players that wouldn't have previously been on the radar. I don't think Stonehill ever actively recruited at ECNL events? They won't have the luxury of recruting Mass kids from B level club teams.Comment
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They start playing in the D1 Northeast Conference this fall. The playing transition starts now. The problem for recruiting is that they're not allowed to participate in the NEC Championship until the fall of 2026.Originally posted by Guest View PostComment
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Yes they will be D1 in the fall they just can’t compete in league and NCAA tournament.Originally posted by Guest View Post
I do feel bad for the local players that had a shot at playing there. Now maybe not a first but the college will start looking outside of New England to have a chance to compete. Just looking at both men’s and women’s rosters looks like there is 1 player from outside New England.Comment
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The school is not well known outside the region and isn't a top academic draw. It's going to be tough to recruit from outside the Northeast especially the first few years until they develop a track recordOriginally posted by Guest View PostComment
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I'd guess internationals are part of the plan.Comment
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