Sorry for the hijack off velocity...This is in reply to PG's comments about "guaranteed roster spots". I will respectfully disagree as the father of two college ballplayers who held "offers" at D1, D2, and D3.
The notion that guaranteed roster spots are "often used by colleges that are extremely expensive and not very competitive" and that this is somehow not an offer is wrong IMHO. They can be expensive and non-competitive schools or they could be inexpensive and highly competitive in my experience.
Guaranteed Spring roster spots are used by many colleges and by every college type from JuCo to D1. Competitive or not competitive. Expensive or inexpensive. It's all some schools have to "offer" players they really want.
At D3, there are no athletic scholarships. So the idea that an offer has to include a scholarship of some type is not true. Plenty of posters here have kids who had D3 "offers" of this type, i.e., a guaranteed Spring roster spot for their Freshman year. They would not be cut in a Fall tryout. They would be on the roster for their first Spring and then would have to compete for playing time just like everybody else.
Perhaps PG is talking about only fully funded D1 or D2 programs? At D1 or D2 not all programs are fully funded of course. One of my kids held numerous D1 and D2 "offers" at schools that weren't very expensive at all, but were all highly competitive and Top 35 contenders. Not all the offers had money...they ranged from 85% to zero.
My local D2 is a very strong program and inexpensive. They have essentially no scholarship money. They had over 90 players, most "recruited", to come out for their Fall. They'll be at 40 or less roster spots this weekend for the opener. If my son were "recruited" at this school, I'd want him to have a guaranteed Spring roster spot. That's what this school can "offer".