What is D1? - Part 1

This is a topic that comes up a lot with college coaches. Not just D1 coaches either; I have similar discussions with D2 coaches as well. One college coach and I were talking about this from the D1 perspective. Specifically, "What makes a school/program Division 1?" It might seem like a simple question, but I think it's something we need to discuss openly more and more because I'm not sure we really understand the differences.

Usually I hear things like this:

"I ONLY want to play D1"

"I want to play D1 because D2 isn't as competitive"

"D1 is more competitive"

"D1 has more money...or the facilities are better...or the coaching is better"

But is any of that actually true? Sure, when you look at the D1 Final Four and the Top 25 they are going to be the best in the country. But what I tell families all the time is that there are even levels of D1. So when you say you want to play "D1" what are you talking about? This kind of idea is even seen throughout social media when you see little 30 second clips entitled, "A day in the life of a D1 athlete." Unfortunately, what many don't understand is that "day" looks relatively the same regardless of what level you're playing.

Realistically there is a HUGE canyon between the top and bottom of D1 volleyball. The comparison between Louisville and Wisconsin vs St. Peter's and Merrimack is pretty drastic. Some might not even consider some of those programs as "D1" on the basis that they've never seen their football team play on TV. That, unfortunately tends to be the litmus test for lots of D1; whether or not your football teams plays on TV. Now, I've talked about this part before. There are 200+ D1 schools outside of the P5 conferences that are at the D1 level. The term "mid-major D1" also has little meaning in my opinion as it classifies basically every single schools not in an FBS conference. But yet again we have this over-arching of D1 that covers a huge spectrum.

But let's talk the statement I probably hear most often.

"D1 is more competitive"

If you're talking about all 340 D1 schools, this statement just isn't true. If you follow me on Instagram, I've been sharing practice clips from the Tampa Volleyball page. They've won 2 of the 3 last national championships at D2. They are potentially better than at least half of all D1 schools in the country (I say potentially because there isn't any way to actually prove this, except with the eye test). They are bigger and more physical than plenty of teams out there at the D1 level. They aren't the only ones at D2 that can claim that either. The Top 25 teams in D2 I would argue fall under that same category. Are they going to beat Louisville or Kentucky? Probably not. Would they put up a fight though? For sure. But those teams outside of the top 100 in RPI are probably up for some really good volleyball.

The other part of this is I often hear statements like this and then ask when was the last time they watched Angelo State (another really good D2 program in Texas) play. Several of those players on these Top 25 D2 rosters transferred from D1 programs - played at those D1 programs too. D2 is competitive alright. These schools don't have the branding or marketing for schools in the P5 for sure, but their rosters are full of talented athletes.

The other part to this is I get statements like, "Well, I don't want volleyball to be my life, so I think D2 is a good fit for me." This notion that because it's "less competitive" means that it will take up less time. I can say from personal experience on both sides, that those athletes in D2 work just as hard as those athletes at D1. The time they spend in the gym during their championship season is basically the same. The other part is the idea that D2 picks up right where D1 leaves off; similar to the way that Rogue One finishes right where A New Hope starts. This isn't true either. Plenty of athletes think that they maybe aren't good enough to play at "this" level of D1 and so they will just play D2. Unfortunately it doesn't trickle down like that. As I said before, plenty of D2 schools are better than D1 schools.

Think of it this way: The BEST D2 golfer in the country doesn't have a WORSE score on the course than the D1 golfer at the bottom of the rankings. The same goes for Track & Field. The best 1500meter runner at D2 might not break the top 10 of D1 finalists, but from the times they might be in the top 25? The best at D1 is for sure the best, I think we could all mostly agree on that. But once you start to work your way down the list you hit a point where there is substantial blending between the two levels - in all sports.

So that's the discussion I want to keep having. I think it's important to have these conversations early on with athletes and families. The "D1 or bust" mentality isn't necessarily wrong, but it needs some perspective. I think athletes can get too caught up in the idea of D1 and MISS OUT on some fantastic schools to play volleyball at the D2 level. They will also, potentially, have a significantly better experience at a D2 school.

I have more to say on this, so check back in next week for more!

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