Read These First
Why coaches suddenly stop texting in certain months, what each NCAA recruiting period allows, and how to plan visits around the calendar.
The real numbers: what a D1 walk-on path, a D2 scholarship, an NAIA offer, and a JUCO year actually cost a family, and where the money traps are.
What NCSA-style services actually do for $1,500 to $4,000, what coaches say about recruiting middlemen, and what to do instead for free.
The real sequence from first contact to signed offer, what a "committable" offer means, and how to tell real interest from recruiting-list filler.
The phrases and patterns that precede a ghosting, and how to protect your money and your kid's heart before the silence starts.
What name, image, and likeness rules actually allow for Colorado high schoolers, what puts eligibility at risk, and the scams to avoid.
Scholarship Reality By Level
| Level | Scholarships | What an offer usually means |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA D1 FBS | 85 full scholarships | Full ride or preferred walk-on. If it is real, you will know. |
| NCAA D1 FCS | 63 equivalents | Partial scholarships are normal; packages get stacked with academic aid. |
| NCAA D2 | 36 equivalents | Most offers are 25 to 50 percent. Compare net cost, not percentages. |
| NCAA D3 | No athletic scholarships | Aid is academic and need-based. GPA is the scholarship here. |
| NAIA | 24 equivalents | Athletic plus academic stacking can beat a D2 offer in real dollars. |
| NJCAA (JUCO) | Varies; some full rides | A real path for development or grades. Often the cheapest year of college. |
The rule: total the real annual cost after ALL aid at each school, then compare. The logo does not pay the bill; the net price does.
Red Flags
- ⚠"Coming to our camp is part of our recruiting process" is the only way they engage with you.
- ⚠Repeated paid trips with no offer, no film review, and no honest timeline.
- ⚠They offer other players at your position while telling you to wait.
- ⚠Every direct question gets "we will be in touch after..." forever.
- ⚠A recruiting service asks for money before your athlete has film and a target list.
Been through it? Tell the next family anonymously: rate how a program treated you. Program grades on the colleges directory come from verified recruit families, pooled so nobody can tell who said what.
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