Offer vs commitment

I'm unfamiliar with unsolicited commitments. Could you expand? 'Cause I think I'm ready to commit to Vandy. I think they need a 50yo RHP with the ability to blow 5omph fastballs past the competition.

They might be happy to have you. It's hard to hit the slow stuff! The question is based on kids who will have to try out for the team anyway - D3 - no guarantees they will even make the team. Where exactly is the offer?Sounds like posturing to me.

My son "committed" to a D3 school - just submitted his application ED over the weekend.  He is choosing not to list himself as committed on PG right now though.  He will when he is officially accepted.  I have noticed lots of commits for D3 on PG - several players we know.  I think these players want to have it out there that they were recruited and are going to play - even if it's D3.

I'm not sure how it is with all D3s but the offer to my 2016 was the HC would support him through admissions and guaranteed him a spring roster spot and 2016 would apply ED prior to their ED deadline.  I heard the same thing from another 2016 that we know well.  My 2016 submitted his application so he's basically committed - assuming he's admitted.  He's locked in now via the ED application.  

D3 commitment is in name only. There is nothing binding in D3. The coach does not know he has you until you show up on campus and paid you first tuition bill. But in most of these cases The D3 coach has shown serious interest, Many times students have visited campus, done many of the things a d1 commit does through the recruiting process. 

In some cases, especially the High academic schools, that are hard to get into the coach will offer support (sometimes in the form of Tips(?)) to help a student get into a school that they may be borderline on getting into. If a coach does this then you clearly have his interest. He is using his limited support on this athlete. Usually in this case ED is required. Coaches at these institutions do not have unlimited Tips or support. They are only allowed so many. So they are pretty precious. 

So while no NLI is involved many times the player and coach have made it clear that there is mutual interest. But again nothing is binding unless ED is involved. 

EDIT: looks like MKbaseballdad and I were posting at the same time.

I messaged you.

Messaged back

Bishop gave the full overview.  There are plenty of D3 players going in with no "commitment".  I'm sure there will be lots of new players at 2016's Fall practices next year.  I think 6 will have had coaches support through admissions - assuming the players listed on PG as "committed" to this school have the same deal as my 2016.  But there may be others who decided to wait and not list themselves on PG (like my 2016).  

I'm considering it a commitment.  As soon as he hit submit on that ED application I was on the hook for XX in tuition.  It doesn't get much more committed than that in my book.  

If a coach has guaranteed you a roster spot, and your son applied ED then yes. That's a commitment. What about a coach who is offering no one support because admissions isnt' really listening? Sounds like he could end up with a bunch of 2nd basemen this way. It's confusing.

Want to echo what Bishop said.

Also want to reiterate that  D3's -- especially the more competitive ones --  can break a lot of kids hearts.  That's been said on other threads, but never hurts to repeat it.  

There were 64 kids on the fall roster of my son's D3 this fall, including 8 transfer students and 25 incoming frosh.  I gather from him that although not all of these students were HEAVILY recruited, a very large number of them were recruited to some degree or other.  He gathered that from the fact that in sharing stories a lot of them expressed great surprise at how MANY players they had to compete against. Very few seem to showed up without any prior contact with the coaches and most of them believed that they had a very strong shot of making the team.

 In fairness to the coaches, since a D3 coach actually doesn't know who's going to show up in the fall, it's not at all unreasonable for them to cast  a wide net.  But I think many players don't fully realize for some D3 schools how wide the net can  be -- though  I'm sure different programs differ, in this regard though too. Some may not bring in quite so many kids.  I think this is really one of the variables you want to weigh heavily in considering a D3 program. What is the coach really promising you besides an opportunity to try out?  And how much competition does he expect you to have? And where does he see you fitting in in that competition?

Back to my son's school.  Between Varsity and JV,  the spring roster will definitely not include 64 players  come the spring.  In fact,  final cuts have been made and while my son hasn't told me the size of the Spring roster, last  year there were a total of  41 players kept between the two rosters. 29 Varsity, 12 JV -- with some mobility of players from JV to varsity.   The year before there were about  the same number. I'm assuming it's about the same story this year. If it is, then  20+  guys were cut this year -- that is,  one third of the fall roster.  Though I gather from him that the cuts fell heavily on incoming players, not everybody cut was  an incoming. Sounded like returning players who hadn't made the varsity  before  -- especially if they are juniors -- faced kind of a  steep climb.  And at least a few returning Varsity players,  who maybe didn't live up to expectations, were at least on the bubble,as far as he could tell.

It's a tough business. 

My undestanding is that a D1 school may make an offer and if you take too long to decide then it simply goes away. Then a school will offer an official visit (they pay).

This means they're interested and they probably will make an offer of $$; so they have made a verbal. When you call the coach to commit, you have both made a verbal yet non-binding committment. When a Letter of Intent is signed it becomes somewhat binding ie., their are certain ramifications should you choose not to honor it. I believe official visits are not always required ( just a guess)

This happened to my son recently. We were asked to go on an unofficial visit to a D1 school.  At the end of the tour, they asked my son if he was ready to commit.  This was without any talk about money. he told them he needed time to look at a few other schools before he decided.  We left having no idea about the amount of a possible scholarship.  It took about two months before my son was ready to commit.  When he told the coach he wanted to play there, they told him they no longer had any money.  But if he came there, they could find money for his sophomore year.  Although the school really seemed like a good fit, we were not going to commit without a financial commitment on the coach's side.  So, he is still looking.   And, although it was disappointing, it does make me wonder what may have happened if he had committed on that first visit.  Would there be money come NLI signing time?

I don't believe offers/commitments have anything to do with official visits.  My understanding of official visits are they can occur during a kids senior year in high school.  For the majority of D1 baseball players, the offer/commitment precedes this date and the single official visit taken is really a "get to know the program better" trip and may coincide with a home football game weekend.

Dadofa17 - can you see where other kids may have committed in the interim between your visit and the call two months later?  Also, for clarification, I assume the coach(es) asked if you were ready to commit - subject to an acceptable scholarship offer and not a commitment before any such details were shared with you.  I has posted before about a school making sure my 2017 was ready to make a decision - subject to acceptable terms - and held off on the offer until such time as we informed them we had reached that point.  Not a Power 5 conference and we were still early and did not have to be too concerned with waiting a couple of months - although I could see that at other schools that may already have several 2017's committed.  Also, wanted to give my opinion as to coaches' actual meaning of "no money" - I'm assuming the coach meant "no money" for that position/need.  For instance, that might still have some funds that were earmarked to sign a SS or P, just not another big bat.  I think your experience does illustrate how one needs to understand and appreciate the matching process when it comes to position players.  Good luck.

my son is doing the ED right now... We should know something in a couple of weeks. the coach recruited him and has played a major role in the ED process. If fact he told son, " once you hit the button, text me I want to be there when they get the app. but he also has a 34 ACT and a 4.46 GPA, that didn't hurt.

My youngest has been a on a few unofficial visits this fall to 3 top ten D1's...... they have all offered and even though he's a 2018, we feel he should commit...likely before Christmas....

Much different than 2016 who is going D3 ... 

How big is your son and what position?  Assuming an advanced physical kid at this stage.  Can you share a few of his metrics?

Thanks

I heard some analytical folks mention the ACT score, when multiplied by three, was sort of like a pitch velocity when it came to college acceptance.  A 34 would equate to throwing 112 whereas a 25 was was more akin to throwing mid 70's.  Congratulations to your son (and parents) and the 34.

He could have gone low D1 , he would have been free at the low D1.... but he really wanted this school. NESCAC school... heck he's almost free at the NESCAC

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