Will Hermens
Athletic recruitment for colleges and universities across the country has experienced dramatic changes during the last few decades.
With the economic situation as it is, institutions have encountered both increases and decreases in the number of recruits visiting campus and the ability of prospective recruits to attend school. Tuition increases also affect how many potential students apply and are able to attend college. Similarly, institutions such as Linfield understand the impact tuition has on recruitment.
“The price of the college and ability to afford school is the biggest reason why kids do not come here,” head football coach Joe Smith said.
Some programs have not experienced any changes, even with the financial crisis and annual rise in tuition. The football program continues to attract a consistently high number of recruits across the Northwest. However, each year that Linfield increases tuition, the number of potential students who can afford private school decreases, Smith said.
The athletic teams with more players have different techniques in terms of recruitment style compared with smaller sports at Linfield. These sports have bigger budgets and more spots to fill the team rosters. On the other hand, sports such as golf and tennis have smaller rosters. For these sports, recruiting happens more on an individual basis. For teams with smaller rosters, coaches can target specific individuals to recruit to the programs. But recruiting happens in other ways.
Students at all levels recruit themselves in one-way or another. Many athletes today use recruiting services to help get their name out to schools and distribute films. Apart from these services, Linfield can indirectly recruit athletes based on past success and name recognition. Smith said that sports with high success rates can attract athletes because of the consistent, high rates of success they have.
In terms of recruiting of next year’s classes, no Linfield sports will be impacted by rising tuition costs. Linfield will have strong recruiting classes next year even during a time of financial turmoil and rising tuition.
In five to 10 years, Linfield could encounter a problem with numbers in terms of students affording school. For now though, the recruitment process and sports continue to flourish.