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Reasons Kids Pick a School

Why do kids pick any particular program?

  • Campus life

    Votes: 20 37.0%
  • Coaches have NFL contacts

    Votes: 15 27.8%
  • Coaches push academics

    Votes: 6 11.1%
  • Community support for team

    Votes: 6 11.1%
  • Good academic school

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • Good facilities

    Votes: 23 42.6%
  • Program is currently a winner

    Votes: 41 75.9%
  • Program is moving in right direction

    Votes: 13 24.1%
  • Proximity to home (close or far could be reason)

    Votes: 33 61.1%
  • Same conference so family can see play

    Votes: 10 18.5%
  • Superior position coaches

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 13 24.1%

  • Total voters
    54
  • Poll closed .

BuffClass90

Banned
BANNED
PLEASE PICK YOUR TOP 3 REASONS ONLY.

I've wondered why kids pick a certain school over others. Being a Buff, I don't know why more kids wouldn't want to come to a good academic school, a great college town, the most beautiful campus etc. like Boulder.

Just cuz I'm biased doesn't mean I'm wrong :nod:
 
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Prestige (conference & program within conference), location, playing time
 
Well as a junior in High school, who is a quadruple Letterman, It really sticks out when a college has a brand. It's all about prestige and bragging rights in school these days. If you were a RLB and I was the MLB, we are both seniors, I commit to Oregon and you commit to Colorado. More people would be like "Dude your going to Oregon!" "Free Nike ****!" to me, while people would say things like "Oh Colorado, don't they have like a buffalo?" "Congratulations, Your going to Pot-U" to you. Right now we haven't been to a bowl game since '. That's 5 years people. I was in 6th grade, Seniors right now who are committing were in 7th grade. We haven't been relevant since '05, thats another two years I WAS IN 4th GRADE! The last time we were in a title game. Why would I go to Colorado, when I have offers from Oregon and Stanford and USC. Personally If I was the number 1 player in the class of '14 I would commit the first day to CU. Actualy no. I would hold off till signing day, tell all the websites its between , NUB, Utah, Notre Dame, Bitchigan, and USC as my top-5. The hint out I'm a soft verbal to NUB, and on signing day whip our A cu jersey and put it, and make all of Nebraska weep. All in all, kids these days care about Swag, Oregon and USC are swag right now. We are not. We win 6 games this year We may have a little but until we hit 8-4 or 9-3 we wont recruit any "Glamorous players"
 
do you mean what would be YOUR top 3 choices because I'm sure they are different for everyone.
 
My situation was a little unusual. CU wasn't on my radar until coach Lucas called and offered a visit, but at my affluent suburban Orlando school, Colorado was a cool school. Most went to FSU or UF among my friends, even to Duke or UVa. But CU was a dream school for many of them(had cash and had been skiing in Vail/Aspen et al). I'd never been west of Kansas. CU was on the rise under Mac, but didn't go to a bowl game my senior year of HS-1987 season. Took the trip, came down hwy 36 and mentally committed as soon as I saw that view. no chanc dog playing schools in Fla, but that didn't really enter into the equation.
 
Prestige (conference & program within conference), location, playing time

^^^ This. There have been a few analystical studies on recruiting. The results showed that proximity, winning tradition and playing time were all at the top of the list. Beauty of campus, academics, social atmosphere, etc. were all pretty low. Of course, these are generalities and individual recruits may have other priorities than the statistical norm.

Needless to say, recruits often make odd decisions. For example, I never understood why Shane Callahan and Alex Kozan chose Auburn. If they didn't want CU, fine. But there are literally two dozen schools I'd have chosen instead. Remember most players don't go to the league and have to get a job after their playing days are done. I'd rather have ties to a growing area rather than be stuck in the 19th century in Alabama. I love living in the South, but for god's sake choose to be a Dawg, Gator, Tar Heel, Commodore, or Cavalier.
 
I chose "Current Winner", "Academics" and "NFL contacts", but honestly it varies quite a bit by recruit.

Any or all of the poll options can be just as true depending on the individual. Hell, you could probably add a few more to the list in some cases like "Program Tradition", "Family Atmosphere", "Religious Affiliation", etc. (Though I guess the latter could fall under the heading of Campus Life)

The NCAA Football video games have something like a dozen different pitches you call sell a recruit on and different recruits have different priorities. One prospect might care a whole lot about going to a program with great academics, whereas another really only cares how many kids a program puts in the NFL and a third might be all about the Campus Lifestyle. (Combination of weather, location, party school or not, fun parts of the city, etc.)
 
It's going to vary by the level of recruit we're talking about, too.

The reasons someone picks San Jose State are not likely the same reasons someone picks USC.
 
"Being on National TV alot" is key to alot of recruits (not an option). Getting paid $$ under the table is important to SEC recruits.
 
Kids from rich families are going to think differently than kids from poor families and along socioeconomic lines you can see where people would choose one item on your list over another.


Proximity to home (so I can go home and eat with mom when I feel like it and she can make ALL of my games) would probably have been the biggest deciding factor for me. TV will lessen this over time, but how many times have you guys seen some of the players eating with their families after the game? There's been at least 5 or so allbuffs stories about it.
 
Kids from rich families are going to think differently than kids from poor families and along socioeconomic lines you can see where people would choose one item on your list over another.


Proximity to home (so I can go home and eat with mom when I feel like it and she can make ALL of my games) would probably have been the biggest deciding factor for me. TV will lessen this over time, but how many times have you guys seen some of the players eating with their families after the game? There's been at least 5 or so allbuffs stories about it.

I think this is a good point. If you come from a fairly well-off family, you're probably more willing to go to college farther from home. Your family can come to games and you can fly home more often. Makes it easier. I remember when Jimmy Clausen committed to Notre Dame, his parents bought a home in South Bend. I know of a couple of our players whose parents were able to buy second homes in Boudler.
 
Where the HS girlfriend goes to school, as stupid as that sounds, is probably a factor in a decent number of recruits decisions.
 
1) Most prestigous school where I can get the most playing time
2) Best Position Coach who can get me to the league
3) Nice facilities and town (living quarters, placess I can go to, at the end of the day you have to live there)
4) Academic Major
 
I think this is a good point. If you come from a fairly well-off family, you're probably more willing to go to college farther from home. Your family can come to games and you can fly home more often. Makes it easier. I remember when Jimmy Clausen committed to Notre Dame, his parents bought a home in South Bend. I know of a couple of our players whose parents were able to buy second homes in Boudler.

Not only are you more willing, but it's almost seen stupid to not go to a very good university. If I had a son and Northwestern or Vandy or Stanford were recruiting my son there's almost no chance I'd sign for him not to go to one of those schools.

It's a problem that CU has with a high % of people that live there that have no ties to and are well educated. Kids from the west are also more likely to move around rather than kids from other parts of the country it also seems; especially when you compare it to the south.
 
I think this is a good point. If you come from a fairly well-off family, you're probably more willing to go to college farther from home. Your family can come to games and you can fly home more often. Makes it easier. I remember when Jimmy Clausen committed to Notre Dame, his parents bought a home in South Bend. I know of a couple of our players whose parents were able to buy second homes in Boudler.

QBs are also an interesting case sample because in order to be considered an elite QB you've had to have had a lot of time and money thrown at you, unlike other positions based on size/athleticism (not saying that it doesn't help to have more training though). QB camps and mentors and whatnot have made the QB position overall better at the college level than they were in the past, but they've also excluded other players that don't have the resources available [for those that follow club soccer it's reason why America will never be a powerhouse in soccer; it's a rich kid sport here].
 
I would have voted for $100 handshakes...but I am not a fan of an SEC school.

I think winning or the believe that a team is on the verge of winning has a lot to do with it, no one wants to be stuck in the cellar, unless you are a CSU fan
 
i picked "other" because in-state tuition was a big factor for me and i didn't apply to unc or csu. i went all in at cu and it was the best decision of my life.

i didn't get in on an athletic scholarship so this has nothing to do with recruiting into a college athletic scholarship program. i guarantee it has some importance for walk-on opportunities though.

i strongly believe that cu is still the flagship university in this state for athletics
 
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Also didn't mention "cool new shiny uniforms" as a voting option... a huge factor for some kids.
 
I went with other - namely coaches (who they connected with/perceived ability to get them to the league), winning program, location. In that order.
 
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