Time and time again, student-athletes looking to pursue their sport in college are blinded by the appeal of going D1, so much so that they don’t even bother to look in the direction of any D2, D3 or NAIA schools, despite those schools being able to offer them more than D1 schools. I’ve fallen victim to having my eyes set and unwavering on the dream of going D1 to continue my academic and athletic career at the collegiate level. Although I’ve made this a reality, I realized throughout the whole recruiting process that there are so many other programs not at the D1 level that are just as, if not more, competitive as D1 schools and even provide more quality education, opportunities, and scholarship money. 

Every situation is different and it all depends on what each person is trying to get out of college and what they prioritize more between their academics and athletics. For some reason, there has been this standard and pressure of D1 being this top tier level that the best of the best go to, and if you go to a lower division that you aren’t good or competitive enough. It’s estimated that a mere seven percent of high school athletes play collegiate sports, and that encompasses all levels. D1 is a lot more selective and less than two percent make it to this level, so athletes shouldn’t feel like they aren’t worthy if they don’t go D1 because that’s a dangerous road to go down. Athletes can end up comparing themselves to a harmful extent. They may become overwhelmed by the financial side of playing D1 as they are offered less scholarship opportunities than they would be at another level, and they end up needing to get a job to support themselves as a result. They also might get overworked and overloaded with the intensity of D1 training while trying to balance a new environment with school and not living at home.

Athletes should be proud to play at an level because they are already a part of a selective group by being able to pursue a collegiate career. It’s common and a seemingly normalized question of people asking what division a school is that an athlete is committing to. This has only fueled the detrimental aspect of the pressure associated with D1 dominance. Athletes fear they may be judged and viewed as lesser than if they go to a lower division. This is very dangerous for athletes’ mental health, as they lose confidence if they think they are perceived as not legit or elite due to immense external expectations. As a result of the increasing stress and toll of measuring up to others’ standards, athletes tend to lose their love for their sport and end up not even playing in college at all. 

As I’ve gone through my own recruitment process and experience, especially with all the changes to NCAA rules and the transfer portal, I’ve come to understand that it’s increasingly more difficult to go D1 in this day and age, and for most schools the costs outweigh pros, the main pro being just to say, “I went D1.” I was lucky enough to commit to play D1, but I realized that other levels have programs that are just as competitive while also having prestigious educational opportunities. Majority of D2, D3 and NAIA actually offer more money, just in different forms, such as academics, because schools at these levels like D3 can’t grant athletic scholarships. Some people highly prioritize academics and staying within a financial range, thus lower divisions would be perfect as they offer both while still having competitive athletics.

Although most professionals come from D1 backgrounds, there is a lot of talent that consistently comes from other levels into careers beyond college. This goes to show that the level of colleges don’t matter, it all just depends on what the person wants most out of a school and how athletic they truly are to continue on for a professional career, regardless of division.