PSAC Recruiting - Offers and Commitments

[Ship69]

Nope. They aren't spending enough. Our top teams can (generally) compete, roster-wise, players 1-22. The big fall-off is players 23-45. There's been a couple years in the past 15 years the top PSAC teams have proven they could compete -- but they've been few and far between. Obviously you can't count anything Shepherd had done, PSAC discussion, other than last year in this conversation. This past season was just yet another reminder how far behind SR1 is/was nationally. That game at SRU this year was just ugly.

To actually win games in late November outside of SR1 you have to have a ton of quality depth. That's where we're really lacking -- for a variety of reasons. No team will be healthy at that stage of the season. Without high-quality depth you have no chance. If you carry 20 rides in the PSAC, you'll probably do real good -- in the PSAC. If you want to win the last game of the season ... you'll need maxed.

Gannon and Mercyhurst ... with their Blue Light Special tuition ... they've just had suspect coaching and average recruiting. If the right coach lands in either place they could go off.

Well, your Gannon and Mercyhurst statement kind of proves the point. More scholarships and spending is a key factor, but it isn't the whole answer. You still need good coaching and recruiting. With 16 Division II schools in the state, the PSAC is going to have to mine some new recruiting grounds. The Minnesota team that routed Slippery Rock in the playoffs this year takes advantage of the fact that there are only two Division II programs in all of neighboring Wisconsin and Iowa. Shepherd, once again, did not recruit a single Pa. player this year and they seem to do pretty well. Coach Mac at Ship hit Jersey more heavily than usual this year, and I have a feeling he'll be looking south of our border in the future. As far as money goes, I'll be donating something to athletics this year, but most will go to our foundation. If there's no university around to field a football team, the amount of scholarships we have or don't have isn't going to matter much.

[Fightingscot82]

Nope. They aren't spending enough. Our top teams can (generally) compete, roster-wise, players 1-22. The big fall-off is players 23-45. There's been a couple years in the past 15 years the top PSAC teams have proven they could compete -- but they've been few and far between. Obviously you can't count anything Shepherd had done, PSAC discussion, other than last year in this conversation. This past season was just yet another reminder how far behind SR1 is/was nationally. That game at SRU this year was just ugly.

To actually win games in late November outside of SR1 you have to have a ton of quality depth. That's where we're really lacking -- for a variety of reasons. No team will be healthy at that stage of the season. Without high-quality depth you have no chance. If you carry 20 rides in the PSAC, you'll probably do real good -- in the PSAC. If you want to win the last game of the season ... you'll need maxed.

Gannon and Mercyhurst ... with their Blue Light Special tuition ... they've just had suspect coaching and average recruiting. If the right coach lands in either place they could go off.

And I blame the lack of depth on the oversaturation of opportunity. I'm not advocating for any program elimination or campus closings. But if we had even 25% fewer programs and campuses over time, theoretically the people who care about football would have been supporting those schools better and we'd see deeper rosters.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The article basically said now that the self-imposed scholarship limit had been lifted it was expected that the PSAC would start competing for the national championship on a more regular basis. That hasn't happened. The conference's problem at present is not the IUP Rule.

Nope. They aren't spending enough. Our top teams can (generally) compete, roster-wise, players 1-22. The big fall-off is players 23-45. There's been a couple years in the past 15 years the top PSAC teams have proven they could compete -- but they've been few and far between. Obviously you can't count anything Shepherd had done, PSAC discussion, other than last year in this conversation. This past season was just yet another reminder how far behind SR1 is/was nationally. That game at SRU this year was just ugly.

To actually win games in late November outside of SR1 you have to have a ton of quality depth. That's where we're really lacking -- for a variety of reasons. No team will be healthy at that stage of the season. Without high-quality depth you have no chance. If you carry 20 rides in the PSAC, you'll probably do real good -- in the PSAC. If you want to win the last game of the season ... you'll need maxed.

Gannon and Mercyhurst ... with their Blue Light Special tuition ... they've just had suspect coaching and average recruiting. If the right coach lands in either place they could go off.

[Ship69]

Well it wasn't eliminated to increase our competition level. It was eliminated to convince Gannon and Mercyhurst to join.

It doesn't matter WHY it was eliminated. It was thought by many that when it was removed the PSAC would be more competitive in the national tournament. Bob Eblen, quoted in the article, wrote a year or two ago in his D2 column that he was surprised there hadn't been more PSAC contenders since the self-imposed restriction was lifted. Tepper was opposed to the private schools being admitted because he thought they'd dominate with their scholarship money. That hasn't happened, either. The PSAC is presently a league where multiple teams are competing for a diminishing in-state talent pool. They're going to have to cast a wider recruiting net, and some coaching staffs are starting to get it.

[Fightingscot82]

Edinboro gets a late commit from Alderdice WR/LB Nazir Darwin. 6-0 190. All City League at LB

[Fightingscot82]

I believe each kid is different. If a current senior was offered $5,000 as a freshmen, there is a good chance that number is higher as a senior. Now if a freshmen came in and is only offered $500, that is a different story.

I do know from hearing kids talk back in the day there were incoming freshmen getting more than current seniors, mainly because those seniors got little money their first few years.

Its my understanding that its pretty common for partial scholarship offers to increase with playing time and that's explained with the offer. $2,500 now and more if/when they start.

[Fightingscot82]

The article basically said now that the self-imposed scholarship limit had been lifted it was expected that the PSAC would start competing for the national championship on a more regular basis. That hasn't happened. The conference's problem at present is not the IUP Rule.

Well it wasn't eliminated to increase our competition level. It was eliminated to convince Gannon and Mercyhurst to join.

[Ship69]

What does that have to do with the IUP Rule?

The article basically said now that the self-imposed scholarship limit had been lifted it was expected that the PSAC would start competing for the national championship on a more regular basis. That hasn't happened. The conference's problem at present is not the IUP Rule.

[shipfbfan1]

Add to it players aren't signed to multi-year deals. Scholarships are year to year. Just because you get money this year doesn't mean you are getting any next year (or you'll even be wanted on the team). That's the part of players 'transferring' you don't hear much about but it happens all the time. It's called a 'transfer' but the player has basically been cut or had his money pulled.

I agree and that's what I try to instill in young men heads when I'm helping them with narrowing down their college selection. At the D2 level scholarship funding varies year to year so a $2500 initial scholarship could very well be reduced the following year if the coaches feel as though you haven't progressed enough in your first year or if they get a transfer at that position. At least at the FBS level a scholarship is 1 full year of free tuition/room/board, as opposed to the D2 and FCS levels where it can range from $500 to a full ride depending on the funding at that school. It's also why you see kids transfer D2 to D2 and gain immediate eligibility even within conference as most of the players who leave have gotten PT and or scholarships reduced and the coaches look at it as if that's money left to disburse to a new recruit or to retain someone who needs extra $$.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I believe each kid is different. If a current senior was offered $5,000 as a freshmen, there is a good chance that number is higher as a senior. Now if a freshmen came in and is only offered $500, that is a different story.

I do know from hearing kids talk back in the day there were incoming freshmen getting more than current seniors, mainly because those seniors got little money their first few years.

Add to it players aren't signed to multi-year deals. Scholarships are year to year. Just because you get money this year doesn't mean you are getting any next year (or you'll even be wanted on the team). That's the part of players 'transferring' you don't hear much about but it happens all the time. It's called a 'transfer' but the player has basically been cut or had his money pulled.

[ESU Warrior]

I seriously doubt the scale works that way...Think about it. Is a university going to give an incoming freshman more money than a senior? Everything I've been told leads me to believe that you get more scholly $ as you progress through the program.

I believe each kid is different. If a current senior was offered $5,000 as a freshmen, there is a good chance that number is higher as a senior. Now if a freshmen came in and is only offered $500, that is a different story.

I do know from hearing kids talk back in the day there were incoming freshmen getting more than current seniors, mainly because those seniors got little money their first few years.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

But it's been 10 years since this article and they haven't really gotten more competitive at the national level. If it were simply the number of schollies, Gannon and Mercyhurst would be dominant many years. Pennsylvania has more Division II football teams with 16 than any other state, and the pie gets divided a lot of ways. Most states have five Division II teams or fewer. New Jersey doesn't have a single Division II team. With a diminishing talent pool in Pa., I think the PSAC is going to have to cast a wider recruiting net to be successful. Some teams seem to be getting the picture.

What does that have to do with the IUP Rule?

[Ship69]

Thanks for the article. Wow...I can't believe this actually happened...

But it's been 10 years since this article and they haven't really gotten more competitive at the national level. If it were simply the number of schollies, Gannon and Mercyhurst would be dominant many years. Pennsylvania has more Division II football teams with 16 than any other state, and the pie gets divided a lot of ways. Most states have five Division II teams or fewer. New Jersey doesn't have a single Division II team. With a diminishing talent pool in Pa., I think the PSAC is going to have to cast a wider recruiting net to be successful. Some teams seem to be getting the picture.

[ShoNuff]

https://archive.triblive.com/news/ps...gap-on-powers/

Thanks for the article. Wow...I can't believe this actually happened...

[Matt Burglund]

We don't know for certain that they actually increased scholarship numbers. Unless there's a major donor (and in Clarion's case it would be an individual rather than corporate), I'm guessing they did one of the following:
- Redistributed existing men's scholarship dollars to prioritize football similar to what Cal and IUP have done

In 2017-18, they gave out only 10.56 to football and 11.69 to all other men's sports, and almost half of the "other" money went to wrestling. So it's possible they redirected some of that to football, but it would be in the form of crumbs they gave baseball (0.18), golf (0.28) and swimming (1.08).