This is very common with D3 schools. We have 12 or 14 in Indiana and it's not uncommon for half their freshmen class to be student athletes. Many of them end up dropping the sport after a year or two, but it was the school's way to recruit them.
Some of you may be familiar with Marian University. It's an NAIA school in Indy. 15 years ago the school was struggling and in danger of closing. They decided to go all in on a football program. They hired a good coach known for recruiting at the small college level. They recruited heavily in the Indy metro area and slowly built a very good team. They only won 1 game their first year but have had a wining record each of the last 12 seasons with at least 10 wins in 8 of the last 10. They have appeared in 4 of the last 8 national championship games winning 2 of them. This has energized alumni and the student body. They have added a nursing school and a medical school (DO) and are building like crazy. In the last 4 years the women's basketball team has won 2 national titles, volleyball won once, and women's soccer played in a national championship. Building a successful football program completely changed the culture of the entire campus!
well I can see that.
NDSU TO FBS. HAVEN'T WE WON ENOUGH?
Great addition to the school and Jamestown
https://epiccompaniesnd.com/properties/uj-place/
U of J and Jamestown High School announced today that they will partner in a renovated project together to the bowl U of J football field sits in. The west side of the bowl will be the new press boxes and home seating with new bleachers and the east side will have vistitors seating. A new regulation track will be installed around the football field. Current track is unusable. The football field will have turf. New score board. Jamestown High school will put in a practice field next to high school that will also be large enough to have soccer on it. They have raised just over $6MM for the project and plans to go to work this fall and have it all ready for 2021 football season.
"Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong" E. O. Wilson
"I'm not crazy my mother had me tested". Sheldon Cooper
My boss hates it when I shorten his name to Dick, mainly because his name is Steven.
Lots of fun memories on that field and a few not so good. Kind of a bummer that the Jays won't be playing there anymore but I fully understand the deal of just having one football venue in town. We already have a soccer field at the high school, or we did 10 years ago. I'm assuming that is still there. Would this new field just be for soccer to use when the football team is not there to avoid wear and tear on their regular field?
I hate football fields with tracks around them from a fan perspective, but I suppose that's small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Wonder if Washington School is gonna be around much longer.
College of Business Alumnus
"Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong" E. O. Wilson
"I'm not crazy my mother had me tested". Sheldon Cooper
My boss hates it when I shorten his name to Dick, mainly because his name is Steven.