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Reply to "D1 Roster Sizes"

Qhead posted:
cabbagedad posted:

Yup, this can be the toughest time of year... cuts.  Even as we discuss this at the D1 level.  Imagine these very talented players, all the years of work, dreams, accomplishments, expectations, the recruiting process, with the hope of reaching D1 baseball, finally doing so only to have it abruptly and harshly end before it really gets started.

Hi Cabbage could you explain who can be "cut" in more detail in the context of DI only?  Presumably, players that attend a school as a "walk on" or "preferred walk on" can be cut, any regular student attending an open "tryout" can be cut, and (except for Power 5 where there is a 4 year deal), any scholarship player after his first year can be cut (because it is a year by year deal)? 

If that is accurate, how common is it that a scholarship player gets "cut" after his first year?  Off the field trouble (bad grades, criminal offense for example) is one thing.  But if a coach cuts former scholarship recruits because he feels he made a mistake or he can now do do better with new recruits - that would seem to be bad business in that recruits would learn that this coach cuts scholarship players and may avoid the program for fear they would be "cut" after the first year.  How prevalent is that?

My experience is with DI volleyball where there is not much "cutting" of scholarship players - there are situations where a coach makes the player uncomfortable and does not play her in the hope that she voluntarily quits or transfers -- but no "cuts" per se.  I always assumed the primary reason for that is that the coach/AD does not want the reputation of cutting scholarship players.

 

I'm glad others have stepped in and answered better than I could have.  I was actually not referring specifically to scholarship players but more in general.  There are more non-scholarship players on D1 rosters than most realize.  So many schools are not fully funded and many give the lion's share to P's and then SS and C's.  So, there are a whole lot of players who are still "recruited" and strongly encouraged to come to the school and "be part of the baseball program" but with no athletic scholarship attached.  Also, as others have mentioned, part of the potential cut pool is returning players who have been told the previous Spring some version of "your athletic scholy money will not be renewed but you are welcome to come back and try to make the team in the fall", "we are using your scholy $ elsewhere... you are welcome to try to make the team in the fall but as of now, we don't see you getting much time on the field", etc.  You hit on another method ... make the player uncomfortable and send messages that they are not going to be a big part of the team.

In regards to the reputation for cutting scholy players, cutting happens fairly often (in effect) but usually in a process as described above.  You just don't hear about it much, largely because it isn't something either player or coach is proud of.  They both failed.   I think the coach is concerned about his reputation but perhaps more so with administration  than with the pool of future recruits.  His recruiting efforts and spending of precious athletic $$ has missed the mark.  You can only do that so many times before administration is asking questions.

Certainly, the cut pool consists mostly of those that you mentioned... walk-ons and preferred walk-ons, as well as those returning players who lost their scholarship but are out to prove the coach wrong or stay for a number of other reasons.  So, there is definitely leverage to obtaining some commitment in the form of athletic $, even if a minimal amount.

 

Last edited by cabbagedad
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