What's in a Name?

We dream of the day when there will be no misconceptions about the college recruiting process. All information will be available to players, parents and coaches and together, liberated by our knowledge, we'll dance carefree through fields of sunflowers.

One of the issues crying out, absolutely begging to be clarified has to do with the NCAA divisions. It's a shame how many misconceptions there are out there regarding DI, DII, and DIII. The standard line goes something like this: "Division I is first rate, DII is okay, and DIII is, uh, not so good." If you're only looking at the number after the word "Division," this seems like a reasonable assessment--why else would the NCAA number its divisions like that?

In reality, the divisions are differentiated more by the rules governing them than by the quality of the soccer. The different rules have to do with scholarships, length of the season, recruiting laws, etc. DI schools, for example, are allowed more scholarships than DII schools. DIII schools have no scholarships and an extremely limited spring season.

Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Without a doubt, the top handful of high school players end up playing for top Division I schools. There are some outstanding, top-tier DI teams that would demolish most DII and DIII teams. But that doesn't mean that all DI schools are better than all DII or DIII schools. In fact, many DII and DIII teams play and beat mid-tier DI schools during the spring season.

The point is: If you're recruited by DI and DII schools, the DI teams aren't necessarily better. You have to look a little deeper than the name.

Posted 1/12/06 by Avi Stopper , selfRecruiting.com

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