This week The New York Times has run a three-part series called “The Scholarship Divide.” The series examines the chase for athletic scholarships from the perspective of athletes and coaches. The focus is on non-revenue producing sports like soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball. The series supports the comments recently made by Dan Donigan at the Springfield Soccer Club banquet in February.

Part 1 explores the unrealistic scholarship expectations of students & parents. Part 2 looks at the scholarship chase from the perspective of college coaches. Part 3 examines the demands placed on scholarship athletes. There are a number of sobering stories about the recruiting process that each student-athlete AND their parents can learn from.

As you read the series, keep the following soccer scholarship limits in mind. Remember that not every school provides the maximum number of scholarships allowed by the NCAA or NAIA.

Division I Men: 9.9 scholarships
Division II Men: 9 scholarships
NAIA Men: 12 scholarships
NJCAA Men: 18 scholarships (thanks Mike)

Division I Women: 14 scholarships
Division II Women: 9 scholarships
NAIA Women: 12 scholarships

Monday, Part 1

• Feature: Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships
• Sidebar: N.A.I.A. Reports Aid Differently
• Sidebar: Average Scholarship Amounts by Sport

Tuesday, Part 2

• Feature: Recruits Clamor for More From Coaches With Less
• Sidebar: New Rules Threaten Sport’s Tryout Process
• Sidebar: Number of Scholarships by Sport

Wednesday, Part 3

• Feature: It’s Not an Adventure, It’s a Job
• Sidebar: Divvying Scholarship Dollars Can Divide a Team

Hat tip to Bob Jordan at Glendale Soccer who identified the stories and has been providing running commentary at the Falcons site. He also provided the outline for this story.