Midwest Recruiting

[johnnyzip84]

ESPN's Ivan Maisel has written an article on how the steady economic decline of the region has affected the available recruits, particularly in terms of depth, in our area. We've discussed many of these issues in the past, but I thought it was a pretty good summary of the situation nonetheless.

Link

[skip-zip]

Very interesting. It all makes sense when you think about how much ground the Big 11 has lost in recent years.

Although it seems like bad news for the Zips, and the region, that less talent in available in the area, I actually think it's good news for the Zips because it should add another factor (the first being the lowering of scholarship numbers a few years ago) to the equalization of the D-1A schools in the midwest.

[Z.I.P.]

Very interesting. It all makes sense when you think about how much ground the Big 11 has lost in recent years.

Although it seems like bad news for the Zips, and the region, that less talent in available in the area, I actually think it's good news for the Zips because it should add another factor (the first being the lowering of scholarship numbers a few years ago) to the equalization of the D-1A schools in the midwest.

Even before I read this article I can tell you, the Great Decline of Midwest, or Big-11 football, or um, athletics, is one of the great and persistent blog headlines that won't go away. I see no similar evidence showing such a bottoming out. Yes, the Southeast Conference has increased what advantages they have had in certain sports (i.e, football) as these sports have increased in size (i.e., $$), and the ACC has grown, in large part through expansion, but interestingly, the conference that has also increased it's influence and power is the Big-12, which last time I checked was a Midwestern conference (though I could repeat the findings of a survey I took for a geography class in 1981 showing a majority of UA students believed all Midwestern states were East of the Mississippi!). But, if you want to focus in on the Big 10/11/qualquiero, I see no hard evidence that it's relative position in major or Olympic sports has declined over the past decade or two. However, if I am off-base, I know that Dave From Green will present graphic testimony using conclusive RPI evidence that will put me in my place. Give it your Bulldog best Dave.

BTW, folks, please don't get me going about the PAC-10's "dominance" in college athletics. Oh, well, maybe if you live outside the West coast you don't have to put up with that shameless self-promotion.

[Kangaroo Craig]

Very good article. Nothing surprising though. I think this has more of an effect on the Big 11 then it does on the MAC because Akron was already losing out on the blue chip players. Granted, it also probably means less one, two, and three star athletes as well. Although there is now a smaller pool of talent in Ohio then previously, there are still as many overall D1 recruits across the country as previously. This just tells us that we need to focus our recruiting efforts elsewhere.

Akron has an advantage over other MAC schools because of all of the recent money that has been spent to improve the overall quality of our campus, particularly in the area of athletics. This makes us an attractive place to out of state athletes. I can't believe that Idaho is a hot bed for football talent, but Boise State continues to excel year in and year out because they are dipping into the talent of California and other talent rich states. I'm not worried about this as long as our coching staff realizes it and takes the necessary actions.

[GP1]

I've been writing on this board for years about this very topic and it looks like I'm right again.

I took a minute to look at the best team in the Big Ten in the past 5 years, which is tOSU. 21 of the 95 players from the roster (23%) I picked up were from south of the Mason Dixon Line or California. Many more are from out of state but mostly rust belt kids.

When a tOSU coach goes to a player and says, "Come to tOSU and you can play for a national championship". He is not telling a lie. tOSU gets the best out of state talent of any school in the midwest, they play a cake walk of an ooc schedule, they play in a talentless conference and they are a media darling so they get voted high in the polls regardless. Every year, they stand a good shot at going undefeated and if things fall in the right direction, they could win the national championship game. Next year is going to be a long year for tOSU haters. I'm glad I don't live around their obnoxious fan.

[skip-zip]

I've been writing on this board for years about this very topic and it looks like I'm right again.

I took a minute to look at the best team in the Big Ten in the past 5 years, which is tOSU. 21 of the 95 players from the roster (23%) I picked up were from south of the Mason Dixon Line or California. Many more are from out of state but mostly rust belt kids.

When a tOSU coach goes to a player and says, "Come to tOSU and you can play for a national championship". He is not telling a lie. tOSU gets the best out of state talent of any school in the midwest, they play a cake walk of an ooc schedule, they play in a talentless conference and they are a media darling so they get voted high in the polls regardless. Every year, they stand a good shot at going undefeated and if things fall in the right direction, they could win the national championship game. Next year is going to be a long year for tOSU haters. I'm glad I don't live around their obnoxious fan.

Yes, you're lucky. But just like every year, I just sit back and wait for them to play a bad game and . Because I know that with their cake schedule, a loss is likely going to eliminate them from the national championship picture.

I remember a few years ago, when they had that unexpected loss to Illinois. I was at a Dave and Busters in the Cleveland area. The place was so silent you could hear a pin drop. You should have seen the looks on all of those people's faces. The look of "I can't believe this is happening" in a large room full of red and silver shirts. It was priceless. One of my most enjoyable moments ever as a sports fan

[Dr Z]

One of my most enjoyable moments ever as a sports fan

I understand you, I'm with you as long as any of those guys didn't actually graduate from OSU...but that statement is just sad. You must be a Cavs/Indians/Browns/Zips fan, if you are, I'm sorry.

[skip-zip]

One of my most enjoyable moments ever as a sports fan

I understand you, I'm with you as long as any of those guys didn't actually graduate from OSU...but that statement is just sad. You must be a Cavs/Indians/Browns/Zips fan, if you are, I'm sorry.

On any given Saturday afternoon, how many of those OSWho fans in bars do you really think actually went to school there?

Not an Indians fan. Not a Browns fan. Somewhat of a Cavs fan during the LeBron era. A huge Zips fan.

And I did enjoy it as much as I say I did

[johnnyzip84]

I readily admit the pleasure I find in "State's" displeasure is completely childish, crazy and ridiculous. But that doesn't stop me from feeling that way! Go Zips!!!

[skip-zip]

I readily admit the pleasure I find in "State's" displeasure is completely childish, crazy and ridiculous. But that doesn't stop me from feeling that way! Go Zips!!!

It is what it is. I don't care either.

We're talking about a large University, only 2 hours away, that we compete against for students, athletes, faculty, media attention, and fan interest. Whenever they fail, it's good for the Zips.

[ZachTheZip]

Want to see something even more interesting?

"These are the same 18 states that a) produced 77 of the top-100 college-football prospects this year (See Where the boys are.), are home to colleges with 10 of the top-10 and 17 of the top-20 recruiting classes this year, and c) contain but 51% of the United States population.

Only two of the 120 FBS schools failed to recruit at least one player from these states. These two schools were the University of Akron and Ball State University."

[g-mann17]

Oregon, Washington, Most of Texas, Oklahoma, Most of New Mexico, and Most of Arizona can hardly be considered "warm weather states" and Virginia? Especially Appalachia and near DC isn't what would be called "warm weather" either.

Additionally Florida, Texas, California are 1, 2, and 4 on the population chart making up about 26% of the total US population. Adding the other 14 it's almost 50% of the population in those 18 states.

Just saying the variables are not very accurate. If 70% of players players come from 50% of the population the question I would ask is "where is the 14-18 year old population the highest?" Most likely those states mentioned, as jobs have forced younger people (who often most likely to move for a job) to move. It likely isn't as "disporportionate" as people think.

They also mention the last 7 BCS champions coming from warm weather states, but fail to mention the key role Ohio and Michigan residents played on those teams to win.