Attrition

[westnodak93bison]

Listening to Kolpack & Izzo say you cant have attrition that drops classes down to single digits in their video blog and expect to win. My interpretation not their exact words.
Got me thinking. I'll go against the grain here. If a kid doesn't come in and seize playing time or make a significant contribution by the time they are a RSO then they will probably get passed up.
We bring in too many solid kids, even preferred walkons. We are looking for and expect to get the next Heagle, Dudzik, Haeg, Marcus, Billy etc. every year. Kids that can come in and bypass the so-so SO or JR that has been hanging around the program. Best players play. I'm not saying any of these kids are bad players but if a better younger player comes in then move over. What say you.
http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/?p=92205

[Bison Dan]

Listening to Kolpack & Izzo say you cant have attrition that drops classes down to single digits in their video blog and expect to win. My interpretation not their exact words.
Got me thinking. I'll go against the grain here. If a kid doesn't come in and seize playing time or make a significant contribution by the time they are a RSO then they will probably get passed up.
We bring in too many solid kids, even preferred walkons. We are looking for and expect to get the next Heagle, Dudzik, Haeg, Marcus, Billy etc. every year. Kids that can come in and bypass the so-so SO or JR that has been hanging around the program. Best players play. I'm not saying any of these kids are bad players but if a better younger player comes in then move over. What say you.
http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/?p=92205

I agree 100% - There's a ton of work involved to be a Bison FB player and if you feel that you're not going to see the field some kids want to move on. Plus our recruiting is getting better and better and some of the young one's will be seeing playing time faster.

[HerdBot]

I wouldn't make much out of it since the 2013 class has a TON of players who are starting, in the rotation, or will be starting.

2014 had 3 guys.

These guys beat out the players in the classes with high attrition and we still have some youth

Also even though the attrition is high we picked up amazing walk ons like Haeg and Schaetz and the guys who remain are studs

[wagsabison]

I don't know the numbers of other FCS schools but I'd imagine the same thing happens at other schools. Some classes stay strong for 4-5 years and others have 50% leave. Not really isolated to NDSU.

[Mr Meaty]

Great competition in practice is what is pushing our program to higher levels. Scout team is smart and good and preps the main squad for the game. Besides the great athleticism of our players , they are intelligent student athletes as well. Great coaches, great players, great administration and of course greatest fan base in the world.

[Vet70]

I don't know the numbers of other FCS schools but I'd imagine the same thing happens at other schools. Some classes stay strong for 4-5 years and others have 50% leave. Not really isolated to NDSU.

I looked everywhere I could think of and couldn't find any source with those FCS figures----some FBS conference data popped up, but that isn't of any help to us. You can find some information on a few schools like ISU-R that had their 2010 class decimated.

[Bison 4 Life]

I wouldn't make much out of it since the 2013 class has a TON of players who are starting, in the rotation, or will be starting.

2014 had 3 guys.

These guys beat out the players in the classes with high attrition and we still have some youth

Also even though the attrition is high we picked up amazing walk ons like Haeg and Schaetz and the guys who remain are studs

That can only help our recruiting.

[Bison Loaf]

To me, it's just a case of diminishing returns from the players standpoint.

I gotta believe that we are bringing in super high quality student-athletes that are very competitive and want to compete for actual PLAYING TIME. Not just a roster spot, but PLAYING TIME. At some point in their careers they may see that there are guys ahead of them on the depth chart that aren't going anywhere, and that the younger guys behind them are equal to or better right now. Human nature takes over and causes one to weigh the benefits (scholarships & being a part of a team) vs. the negatives (lack of playing time) with all the hard work you are putting in.

No one is questioning the desire, work ethic or commitment of these athletes. I'm sure they are working their butt off, in most cases. And certainly injuries may have been a part of it, too. But highly competitive sports like Bison FB is a dog-eat-dog world and I would hope that most understand that coming in.

Bottom line: Sometimes, it's just simply a matter that a guy is better than you, and beat you out in a fair competition. I don't see this as a program negative right now.

[SDbison]

Can't disagree with what is being said in this thread. Also, I think the high expectations at NDSU (win the Natty) and all the dedication and work required can burn out some guys who eventually will quit, even if they have starting potential (like Woods, etc.). The question is will there ever be a year where players leaving impacts the overall quality of starters, back ups and scout teams such that week by week team performance is affected? In other words the new guys can't make up the difference.

[bisonaudit]

Isn't the concern that having a lot of guys wash out before their senior year, especially a couple of years in a row, could be an indication that you weren't recruiting the right guys? Then the question is, have you actually gotten significantly better at recruiting and that's why the underclassmen are pushing some of them out or are you only marginally better at recruiting and as a result the overall talent level is deteriorating?

Alternatively, if you don't think it's really a raw talent issue, why haven't the upperclassmen continued to develop? They should have an inherent advantage via age, experience, and training. Obviously you're not going to hit on every recruit but if the attrition rate is high for a number of classes in a row it's completely legitimate to question why that may be the case and what it may say about where the program could improve. Of course those are complicated questions that likely don't have obvious answers.