Toe the Rubber: Player Development for All Ages NCAA Division 1 transfer portal 2024-2025 (300 NCAA Division 1 baseball programs. - Approximately 3000 have entered the portal.
College coaches at many Division 1 schools have decided that sitting in Georgia heat in the summer is not beneficial to their recruiting. They have turned to the portal to fill out rosters.
Players in the portal have proven track records, a year or more of physical and emotional development. With current coaching changes many of the top stars in college baseball are entering the portal.
Increased competition for spots on the team. NCAA Division 1 baseball programs have 11.7 scholarships that can be spread out over 32 players (old rule was 27 players) 25% scholarship accounts for a majority of the roster. Division 1 schools SC/NC examples.
Overall Cost (in state tuition) Clemson University $35,000 annual / 25% scholarship equals $8,750 annual University of South Carolina $29,000 annual / 25% scholarship equals $7,250 annual Overall Cost (private school - out of state) Wake Forest $91,000 annual / 25% scholarship $22,995 annual Duke University $94,000 annual / 25% scholarship $23,500 annual 300 division 1 baseball schools can spread 11.7 scholarships among 32 players. (9600 (25%) scholarship opportunities.
500,000 high school baseball layers in the USA 150,000 travel ball baseball players (14-18 years old). Total cost of elite level travel programs Parents are paying $15,000 to $20,000 per year in travel ball costs.
4 years of travel ball equals $80,000 (529 savings fund at 5%) for 4 years equals $100,000 Examples: 25% scholarship at Clemson University for 4 years equals $35,000 25% scholarship at Wake Forest University for 4 years equals $91, 980 Conservative estimate is $3 billion dollars is available in academic scholarships for the 300 NCAA Division 1 baseball schools.
Good grades are as valuable or more valuable than 4 years of elite travel baseball for receiving a scholarship to an NCAA Division 1 program. Academic scholarships are not limited to 25%.