quote:IMO...The JC route to DI will get a huge boost. At the risk of oversimplicication, I don't see a great boost for the concept of "student athletes", at the 4 years...but rather a transformation to a quick in quick out "2 year gun for hire" set up...
I don't see anything significant changing for the top players...they will continue to be coveted and recruited heavily by D1 programs. In addition, with the schedule changes, pitching is a now at an all time premium and will command an even higher % of scholly $.
As far as the potential JUCO to D1 transfer onslaught, the NCAA continues to make this a difficult road. One of the least talked about aspects of the new rules is the requirement for all D1 players to be academically certified on day one of the fall semester. This really puts the squeeze on any potential 2-4 transfers as the fall semester can now not be used to make up acadmeic deficiencies prior to the baseball season.
The bottom line....college coaches will have to be smarter and more thorough in the process of identifying, evaluating and recruiting players. The new limits mean they can't make mistakes. One potential effect may be a reduction in super early offers...at least I would hope so.
At the same time, families need to be smarter on their end when it comes to selecting a potetial fit. Shoe horning a player into the wrong program now carries a big time penalty.