Geography Is A Good Starting Point

Jason
Oct 30, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Aug 19, 2024

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...but don't put yourself inside a box.

It can be a crutch sometimes when we focus too much on location. It's a great place to start, but it is also limiting. Just as an example, let's say you want to stay in and around Texas. For the most part we would start by looking at Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana schools. This gives us quite a few options from D1 all the way to NAIA. But how many options really?

Let's run some of the numbers:

Texas = 65

D1 - 25

D2 - 12

D3 - 16

NAIA - 12

Oklahoma = 19

D1 - 3

D2 - 9

D3 - 0

NAIA - 7

Louisiana = 18

D1 - 12

D2 - 0

D3 - 1

NAIA - 5

Arkansas = 19

D1 - 5

D2 - 7

D3 - 2

NAIA - 5

At first glance 121 schools looks like a lot! But let's do a little more breakdown shall we? Let's say that you only want to play D1. That is completely fair and I have conversations with families that tell me that every year. Looking at D1 only, you have 40 schools on your list. Those 40 schools are going to be recruiting between 120 - 160 athletes in every class. Keep in mind that 9 of those 40 schools are in the Power 5 conferences. Are you a P5 athlete? Maybe not, so let's look at 31 schools and roughly 90 - 120 athletes getting recruited by those schools. What position are you? If you're a setter then those 31 schools just turned into 16 because not every school is going to be recruiting setter in your class. Now we are in a place where we want to stay close to home and our list is only made up of 16 schools - and we haven't even had a discussion about if YOU want to go to any of those schools yet.

Let's go look at D2 and NAIA because you want a scholarship of some sort. That would give us 33 schools on our list. Again, it's not a bad start. But you went to a high school of 5,000 students and you don't want to attend college at a school that is smaller than that. That gives us 8 schools in Texas; 3 in Arkansas; 2 in Oklahoma. That's a grand total of 13 schools on your list because all of the NAIA schools in these states have fewer than 5,000 students.

With every school that comes off the table (for whatever reason) removes options for you. Obviously we could go through a bunch of different scenarios. Maybe you want to go to a Christian school. That is going to take schools and options off your list.

"Okay Jason, we get it. What's your point?"

My point is this:

Don't limit your options to states, regions or EVEN some sort of "needs list". These should be guides we use to help us make decisions NOT factors that limit our options. You want to go to school in Texas? Great! Let's add some Oklahoma and New Mexico schools also. You want to go to school in Florida? Great! Let's add some Georgia and South Carolina schools also (I hear they have beaches in SC).

You also can't rely on a needs list. Yes, I have one. Yes, you can purchase it and I update it twice a month. Even in the product description I say that "this should be used as a guide" because it isn't 100% complete and updated for every school in the country. NO NEEDS LIST IS! Not mine and not the one on SportsRecruits! A needs list is only as accurate as it was last updated. Use my "needs list" or any other "needs list" in tandem with OTHER information. I email schools all the time. Sometimes I email a school with an athlete that I think might be a good fit even if that school doesn't have that specific need listed. Guess what? Sometimes they are interested because something changed.

I can tell you that a LOT of needs are going to change between November and January. The transfer portal has a massive impact on recruiting needs and things will change. A school that was looking for a setter in the 2025 class, isn't anymore because they got a transfer. It happens in the reverse too.

Look outside your box a little bit. Don't focus too much on a list or a state. Find schools that will be a good fit for you. Find schools that maybe on the outside, aren't a good fit, but they have your major. I've had several athletes in the past few months commit to a school that wasn't even on their radar in the beginning.

Location, just like a needs list, is a great place to start.

Hear this last part, please...

There are some GREAT options for you out there. You don't have to play at a P5 school to enjoy your college volleyball experience. Keep an open mind and be willing to get on the phone with a school. Be willing to ask questions and research a school. Be willing to go to campus and make a visit. The chances are pretty good that you will be surprised what you end up liking about a school.

Keep working. Keep emailing. Add a couple of new schools on your list that are outside of your box.

And if you need some help...you know where to reach me.

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