College Athletics Recruitment: A Deeper Analysis

The college athletics recruiting landscape is one littered with many different factors. While previous studies have analyzed institutional and social factors as impacting a prospective student-athletes’ recruitment process, there’s a gap in understanding the role an athletes’ demographics play in how athletes make their college decision. Previous literature has indicated that the impact social and institutional factors play during the recruitment process varies based on individual demographics. This research uncovers any correlations between athlete demographics and how they weigh the importance of recruitment components. Surveys were administered to 1,029 randomly selected Division I student athletes. One team from each conference at the FBS, FCS, and non-football divisions of Division I were selected. At each school four teams were randomly selected using a random number generator and one out of every three student athletes were selected from each team to participate in this survey. The results found that institutional factors were more influential during recruitment when compared to social recruitment factors. In addition there was a significant difference between males and females in relation to parental influence as females valued parents more throughout the recruitment process. These findings are important as it provides athletic departments with better knowledge as to where to focus recruiting time and resources