hmmm wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:05 am
jhu06 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 8:27 am
I've never understood the concept of good academics d3 schools having amazing sports teams. Is it that kids who aren't good enough to play d1 just want the best education possible? You see williams and amherst at the top of these things all the time and it's hard to really understand what their admissions directors and school Presidents are thinking. What is the real objective for amherst having amazing sports teams when what they're selling is academics. It's not like they're making $$$ off their football team.
There's no scholarship money so it's not costing them a ton. And a lot of those NESCAC schools have a long history in athletics and the alumni take a lot of pride in it. Success in athletics helps drive alumni donations to the school.
I think it's akin to why the Ivies support sports so strongly (albeit don't expect to compete nationally anymore with football). Note that Ivies have more sports programs, and more athletes as a proportion of total students, than do any other D1 schools.
There's an actual notion that they're developing leaders for the future, not simply trying to crank out the top academic talents. And that the athletes have a pretty darn good track record in that respect.
There's also tradition, school camaraderie, and spirit elements and certainly there's been a willingness of the athlete alums to financially contribute heavily to the ongoing upkeep of their respective sports, and athletics overall.
And unlike most D1's, the athletes don't cost the school in tuition aid any more than the rest of the student body, indeed maybe even a bit less.
The NESCAC's have had much the same attitude and for much the same reasons. Simply DIII. Indeed, also a lower total time commitment required.
As to why athletes choose to go to these schools, I'm sure it's akin to why DIII athletes choose to go to Hopkins, expectations of strong academics, competitive sports, and excellent brand recognition of diploma.
However, I don't think there are a lot of Ivy qualified athletes who choose to go to NESCAC (if anything, the Amherst, Williams, Middlebury etc academic requirements are stiffer for athletes than Ivies; darn close in any case); more often it's that a kid is bubble athletically for an Ivy but courted by the NESCAC; of course, lots of those 'bubble' kids end up being terrific as they further mature. And, sure, expectation of being a starter would be a factor. There are also sure to be exceptions, family ties, etc.
But, I don't think there are many high D1 athlete recruits who opt for NESCAC over Ivy...they might have been recruited at lower academic/athletic D1 schools, but had academic ambitions beyond those schools...so a NESCAC would be a huge win for that kid. Same for Hop in its DIII sports.