The Rundown on Recruiting

College Running:  It's Complicated

One of the primary goals of our team is to form a love for running in our athletes and in doing so to set them up to be lifelong runners.  For roughly 8% of high school cross country runners, that means going on to run in college.  That path isn’t for everyone.  To my knowledge, Laura Steele is the only runner in the history of our program to compete collegiately.  However, several others have explored the possibility, and that’s likely to continue.  I wanted to provide a resource for our runners and parents as they consider their options.

That being said, collegiate running is a tough topic to tackle.  For starters, my journey as a competitive runner ended in high school.  While two friends on my team went on to run collegiately, I never experienced the recruiting process firsthand.  Given the history of our team here at SV, I’ve never been through it on the coaching side either.  Most of the information I offer below comes second hand from individuals I trust with more experience.

But beyond that, college running can take many different forms, including the level of competition and the financial compensation involved.  As we’ll see later, full ride scholarships are actually something of a rarity in cross country.  Partial scholarships (down to as little as 10%) are far more common, as are opportunities to walk on to a team.  Depending on these circumstances, the process can look a bit different.

Lastly, the college athletics scene is quickly becoming something of a wild west.  Requirements and regulations seem to change constantly, and so this post could quickly become outdated.  While the NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities impact top-end athletes, recent court settlements with the NCAA stands to restructure scholarship numbers, roster sizes, and perhaps program survival at top schools, with a trickle-down effects across the board of college running (read here for a full account of the uncertainty).
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That being said, I will do my best to overview the landscape and offer some suggestions for navigating it.  And maybe I’ll return to update from time to time.

Not only does Laura Steele ('12) still hold the girls 5K record for our program, she's the only cross country runner from our school to compete in college, spending time at both Millikin University and Webster University.

Divisions of Competition

The first goal is to clarify some points about college running that many might not be clear on.  For starters, college athletics have a somewhat complex organization structure.  

The most recognized schools in the country compete within the NCAA, but that alone consists of three divisions.  Division 1 includes the largest and most competitive schools.  Division 2 schools are generally smaller and slightly less competitive.  The level of commitment to running at D2 schools is sometimes a bit lower, making it perhaps easier to balance athletics and academics.  Division 3 schools are typically even smaller yet and tend not to value athletics more than academics, making them a great option for those who want to focus on education in college but wouldn't mind continuing to run competitively.  The number of schools in each division is roughly the same, though given the higher number of sports programs offered, Division 1 includes the most student athletes.  
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Some colleges don’t compete within the NCAA at all.  Nearly 250 smaller, mostly private, four-year schools compete within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The level of competition in the NAIA is generally somewhere between Division 2 and 3 of the NCAA.  Furthermore, more than 500 two-year junior/community colleges compete within the NJCAA.  Many student athletes will attend these schools out of high school before eventually transferring to larger four-year schools.
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There are schools from each category in all fifty states, but I’ve listed the Missouri schools with cross country programs below by division.  Schools marked with (W) only have a women's team.

Are Cross Country Scholarships a Thing?

The second thing worth clarifying is that very rarely are there true cross country scholarships.  In the NCAA, cross country and track and field are considered one sport for the sake of scholarship allocation.  While the same isn’t technically true for NAIA or NJCAA, given the low number of scholarships many of these institutions can afford, the same still tends to hold in practice.  NAIA and NJCAA schools will save track scholarships for sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, and throwers, and fill the distance events from cross country who they expect to run distance or mid-distance events in track.  Effectively this creates a combined pool. Schools are limited on the number of athletic scholarships depending on the division, as outlined below.

The number of available scholarships for some D1 schools is expected to change in the coming months due to legal settlements around revenue sharing.

It’s important to note that these are the maximum numbers.  Most schools fall well below this.  For example, Division 1 schools in the Ivy League like Harvard and Princeton don’t give any athletic scholarships.  What that means generally is that barring the rare school that offers cross country but not track, any athlete given scholarship money in cross country is likely going to be expected to run both indoor and outdoor track as well.  This makes balancing athletics and academics challenging for college runners, as their commitment is a nearly year-round one. 

Full-Ride Scholarship Are Rare

The last thing to clarify is that cross country and track are equivalency sports.  What this means is that schools aren’t required to give full scholarships to athletes.  They can give athletes partial scholarships as long as the totals of all those fractions don’t exceed the limits above.  

It’s also important to realize that those above numbers aren’t for a single recruiting class but for all athletes on the school’s roster for a given year.  So the 12.6 scholarships a D2 school has amount to essentially 3 scholarships per recruiting class for all track and field athletes.  That means some schools might only have a single scholarship to offer distance runners in a given recruiting class.  

To get more mileage out of this, they might choose to split this into two 50% scholarships or one 50%, two 20%, and one 10%.  Very rarely does a school give a full ride athletic scholarship.  Instead they’ll look to pair need-based assistance (and merit based academic where allowed) to cover as much of a prospective athlete’s tuition and use athletic scholarships wisely for what remains.

Objectives for Freshman Year

For the rest of this article, I want to offer something of a timeline for how the recruiting process might play out.  But before that, the most important thing that can be said is that this is a process that athletes must take ownership of.  Parents can help, as can high school coaches, but in the end the athlete has to want to run at the next level and to do the work to make that possible.  College coaches want athletes who can fend for themselves without support, whether that’s training at home during the summer or succeeding in classes.  They can smell out the situations where the parents are doing the pushing (if not the work outright), and they’ll quickly look elsewhere.  

During freshman year, the best thing runners can do is to lay a foundation for success.  That starts with academics.  College programs don’t want athletes they’re worried won’t be eligible or get accepted to their school.  The better an athlete’s academics look, the more attractive they become to a coach.  Taking classes seriously as a freshman and starting off with a solid GPA is the best way to ensure this.  Freshmen need to take their running seriously as well.  That likely means committing to year-round fitness and not taking the winter or summer off from work to improve.

Objectives for Sophomore Year

With sophomore year, the key is consistency with running and school.  Athletes should build on the foundation from freshman year.  Start making a record of one’s accomplishments.  For cross country, race times really aren’t that influential.  There’s too much variability in courses for most college coaches to have a sense of the quality of a performance outside of maybe a state course or a more iconic meet.  Neither are honors like all-conference or school records going to impress coaches.  There are too many lackluster conferences and mediocre record books.  

Instead coaches are going to look more at places in championship races, be that state or something like Nike or Footlocker Regionals.  Track times are a little more consistent and therefore more valuable to college coaches.  Obviously for someone looking to run cross country, this would mostly be in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m.  

Collegiate race times can also give a sense of the level an athlete might realistically be able to run at.  There is some variability within each division.  Every school has its own standards, with a D1 school like Stanford or Oregon obviously having higher standards than somewhere like SEMO or SIUE.  But as a rough rule of thumb, the following times are something of a minimum standard to be taken seriously at a given level.

These standards will likely lower year after year as race times get increasingly faster.  To know the standards for a specific school, there are websites that offer estimates, though I would very much take them with a grain of salt.  

Instead, a more involved process would be to check the results of the conference rankings for a school (this is a great site to use).  If an athlete can run a time close to or better than the top 8 in an event, that means they would stand to score for that school in the conference meet.  For a lot of schools, this is a big deal and will get them interested in that athlete. 

For example, SEMO competes in the Ohio Valley Conference.  The 8th fastest 800m time for men in that conference last year was a 1:52.63.  That means someone running a 1:55 would probably have a realistic shot of running the 800 for SEMO, while someone with a 1:59 either has work to do or maybe needs to pivot to an NAIA school like Benedictine College where the 8th fastest time was a 1:56.41.  A last method for a particular school in mind would be to contact the coach directly and ask about standards, but I would save that move for an athlete’s junior year when coaches are allowed to contact an athlete, and the athlete already has some sort of list of schools.

Speaking of which, sophomore year is a great time to start looking into possible schools.  Always put academics first, meaning that if a school isn’t a good fit for an athlete’s educational goals, it doesn’t matter how much the school wants them to run there.  Some things to consider in a school are the following:

-Distance From Home
-Size of School
     Enrollment
     Area/Walkability of Campus
     Student-Teacher Ratio
-City of School
     Population
     Safety
-Cost
     Tuition
     Room and Board/Other Fees
     Financial Aid Offered
​-Educational Opportunities
     Majors Offered
     Employment Rates of Graduates
     Transferability of Credits
-Community
     Social Life
     Faith Life on Campus
-Admission Requirements
     GPA
     Standardized Test Scores
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There are other potential considerations, but these are some of the basics.  Our guidance office can help with some of these questions, but the Internet (like here) can provide many answer as well.  For a deep dive into an individual school, many offer virtual tours on their websites.

Having a list of 5-10 schools would be a great goal for a sophomore.  I would recommend following their teams on social media to get a better sense of the team culture and performance.  I would also suggest making some sort of spreadsheet or book that lists each school with contact information for the coaches and where an athlete is at with them in the recruiting process.

Objectives for Junior Year

Junior year is really the pivotal year in the process.  NAIA, NJCAA, and Division 3 have fewer restrictions, but for Division 1 and 2, June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year is the earliest a coach can contact a potential recruit.  That being said, it would be foolish to wait for schools to come calling.  Coaches want athletes who show initiative and reach out to them.  
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Before contacting coaches, an athlete will want to register through the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly called the NCAA Clearinghouse).  This is an organization that ensures the eligibility of prospective athletes before schools engage with them in the recruiting process.  At this point an athlete should simply create a free account.  This will get them an NCAA ID Number.  However, if an athlete intends to compete in Division 1 or 2, they will ultimately need to upgrade to the Academic and Amateurism Certification account before making any official visits or signing a letter of intent.  This does come with a $100 fee, so that's why I recommend waiting until there's a fair degree of certainty.  For those planning to run at an NAIA school, they operate a separate eligibility center with its own $100 fee.  

An athlete will also want to develop a plan around the ACT (or SAT for a number of schools), as programs are going to be interested in prospects for admission.  Our school generally has all juniors take the ACT in April, but it might be wise to take the test before then, and maybe once again after the April test if scores aren’t quite at necessary levels.  The tests in September and October might pose challenges with racing season, but the dates in June and July should be safe, as should December.  Remember that the registration deadline is usually more than a month before the actual test date, so try to plan ahead.

As for contacting coaches, this can take place in two fashions.  Most schools have a questionnaire on their athletics website that prospective recruits can complete.  These sometimes take some work to find, but usually Googling [Name of School] cross country questionnaire gets results.  Here is SEMO’s as an example.  My advice would be to make a Google Doc and then record all answers from the first questionnaire there while completing it.  Then with future questionnaires, one can simply copy and paste.  

A few schools don’t have questionnaires, but either way it’s wise to email the coach regardless.  Most of the time the email addresses of the coaching staff are listed on the school’s athletics page.  I would address the email to the head coach but also CC any other assistant coaches, as some programs put them in charge of recruiting.  The subject of the email should include the following, as it makes it easier for coaches to find an athlete later in their inbox:

Name / Graduation Year/ Distance Runner / High School/ City, State

The body of the email needs to be short, professional, and personal.  Coaches are busy people who don’t have time to read a novel.  They do want to see that an athlete can communicate well.  Including something specific about the school/program also shows that they aren’t reading a blanket cookie cutter email.  Their program social media posts can help here.  Some other important things to include are the following:
--  Events and PRs
--  Performances in Championship Races (i.e.state or postseason regionals)
--  Weekly Mileage
--  GPA and ACT scores
--  Intended Major
--  Unique detail about school/program
--  Contact Info

If an athlete does not receive a response within 2-3 weeks, follow up with a second email.  If that doesn’t generate a response, try calling to ask if they received the email.  Otherwise an athlete might need to move on.  Either the coaches aren’t interested or probably aren’t a program with the level of responsibility and respect an athlete wants to be part of.

A response from a coach could take a variety of forms, from an acknowledgement email to a high-priority phone call.  If an athlete is uncomfortable speaking on the phone, they should practice, especially with someone who isn’t family or a close friend.  Have questions ready for the coach.  This could be something like the program’s standards or training philosophy.  An athlete should also be prepared to answer any questions from the coach about their own training.  Try to stay in regular communication once contact has been established, especially after setting any new PRs.  

As an athlete narrows their list to fewer than five schools, a next big step is to visit the campuses where there is still interest.  This can take the form of an unofficial or official visit.  Unofficial visits are coordinated and paid for by the athlete and their family.  There is no limit on the number of these an athlete can make.  An athlete can set this visit up with the school and then ask whether the coach would be available to meet.  Just be mindful that the NCAA restricts the types of contact coaches can have at different points in the year (see the calendar below). 

During Dead Periods, college coaches can’t have any in-person contact with prospective athletes, so this would be a bad time to schedule a visit.  During Quiet Periods, coaches can only meet with athletes on campus, not elsewhere.  During Evaluation Periods, coaches can watch athletes compete but can't meet with them otherwise.  Contact Periods are all systems go.

This is the NCAA DI contact dates for the current academic year. It's important to note that digital communication is still possible during all periods.

Official visits are paid for (at least in part if not in full) by the school.  Coaches are the ones who set them up.  Official visits are typically reserved for the top recruits on a program’s radar.  These cannot occur until after August 1 of a student’s junior year.  There is no limit on the number of schools a recruit can attend on an official visit, but barring a coaching change they are limited to one visit per school.  These can last up to 48 hours, and so often a coach will invite a recruit to spend a weekend with the team.  

Whether visits are official or not, try to use it as an opportunity to connect with current members of the roster to get their perspectives on the team.  Sit down and brainstorm a list of questions for athletes and/or coaches.  

The middle of an athlete’s junior year is also a good time to start gauging the amount of financial aid they can expect to receive from the government and what they’ll be left on the hook for to cover with merit scholarships, athletic scholarships, or their own money.  The government provides a good tool for this.

Junior track season and senior cross country are really the prime opportunities to make a case to potential schools, as senior track is really too late in the recruiting timeline.  Use the winter to really focus on training.  By this point an athlete should have a good sense of the times necessary to win over a coach.  If it’s realistic, make a plan to go for those marks.  Continue to update coaches as track season progresses about upcoming meets and any new PRs.  If the school is close to one of the meet locations, they might come watch, but that’s not always possible.

An athlete will also have a sense of where they stand academically with regards to GPA and ACT scores.  Do the necessary work to improve grades.  Make sure to schedule another ACT in the summer or early fall if needed.

Objectives for Senior Year

As senior year begins, hopefully an athlete has whittled their list down to 2-3 schools.  As an athlete eliminates schools from consideration, they should do the courteous thing with any coaches they've been in contact with and let them know when no longer interested.  For the remaining schools, be aware of their various deadlines for admission.  Most schools open applications on August 1.  While it isn’t necessary, knowing an athlete has already been accepted to a school puts their coach at ease in the recruiting process.  Be aware that many schools still include application fees, so do apply discerningly.

Families will also want to complete the FAFSA during the fall of the senior year.  This application determines what federal financial aid an athlete is eligible for.  Barring technical difficulties, the FAFSA generally opens on October 1.  Some of the financial aid comes from a limited money pool, and so earlier applicants are likely to receive more assistance.  This is helpful as scholarship offers show up.

At some point, a serious coach will likely make an offer, either of a full or partial scholarship or a roster spot as a walk-on.  If this school is an athlete’s top choice, hopefully the decision is easy enough.  But if an athlete needs more time, they should let the coach know this and ask how long the offer stands.  Most coaches will give at least 1-2 weeks.  At this point an athlete should reach out to the coaches of the other schools on their short list.  The athlete should let the coach know that they have received an offer from another school and would like to know where they stand with that coach.  Give a sense of the time frame with the other offer. Hopefully these coaches will decide whether they have money for the athlete and make their own offers.

Athletes will often need to compare offers.  School A might give more money than School B, but if their tuition is double, it might not actually be the better deal.  Athletes will also hopefully have a sense of where they’ll fit onto each team.  Some people want to be the best runner on a mediocre team.  Others are happy to be a role player on a championship contender.  Talk this over with trusted individuals and try to reach a decision.

It’s important to understand that verbal offers aren’t binding and can be withdrawn at any point.  A written offer takes the form of a financial aid agreement.  In its former structure this was known as a national letter of intent.  The earliest date an athlete can sign a financial aid agreement is on National Signing Day.  For cross country, this is generally the second Wednesday in November.  A financial aid agreement is essentially a contract, and so it is important that an athlete understands what they are agreeing to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Coaches Want to See Video?
From what I've heard, most college distance coaches say no.  Our sport isn't basketball or volleyball (or even jumps or throws).  The times and performances pretty much speak for themselves.

Should I Pay for a Recruiting Service?
The majority opinion is no.  Some of these services are incredibly expensive and offer no guarantees.  Most of the information these companies provide is readily available for free online if you're willing to do the legwork.  Furthermore, many of the services (like creating a highlight video) don't really apply to runners.  And ultimately, coaches don't want to get inbox blitzed by recruiting professionals any more than by parents or high school coaches.  They want to hear directly from athletes.    

In Conclusion

Hopefully this article has been insightful and informative.  I am by no means an expert in this area, but I’ve done my best to offer the input of those who are.  For more information, both the NCAA and the NAIA have guides.  Those might be worth reading depending on the competition level an athlete is considering.