Playing Outside D1

There are many iconic images that come to mind when thinking about college football. Thousands of screaming young fans packed shoulder to shoulder, chanting and cheering their team onto victory. A tower stadium, taller and mightier than any of the other buildings on campus. A team full of players who are gifted with the right abilities and characteristic to make them a future player in the NFL. These are the images of big time football. This is what people pay to see, what television networks want to cover, and what people want to write about. But what happens when you take away some of the larger aspects of this style of game? What happens when 100,000 fans turns into 1,000? What happens when the stadium is only slightly larger than a high school field? What happens when the players realistically aren't going to be playing in the NFL? Does the game itself change? These are just a few of the characteristics that make up Division II and III football programs in the NCAA.

Just a little bit smaller than the Coliseum

The sad truth about college football is that size matters. When a team only has 36 scholarships to give out each year (or in the case of Division III, there are no scholarships), it is hard to fill a team with deep talent. Pair that with the fact that the most highly touted athletes are being recruited to play at bigger Division I schools. Many top prospects don't even consider Division II or III schools when looking at schools to attend.  The players that do end up attending Division II or III schools may not be the best athletes, but they have the heart and skill to continue to play the game that they love competitively. Unfortunately, heart and desire don't drive television ratings. Television networks unfortunately aren't interested in producing content around schools where there are only a few hundred fans in the seats. There were a few games televised this past year, yet these are only a handful of games out of thousands played each year. With everyone watching the bigger programs with the better players, it is hard for the players on Division II and III teams to get noticed by fans and scouts. 

So, what happens to these players after college? Chances are that they will not be drafted by an NFL team in the months leading up to graduation, yet many of them still want to play football competitively. They still have the dream to play football at a professional level, yet the NFL is not in the cards at the moment. That is where some of the smaller professional leagues come in. Leagues such as the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League give players the opportunity to continue to play the game that they love and develop their skills. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend a CFL combine hosted by the company that I work for and see first hand a group of Division II and Division III athletes showcase themselves in front of scouts. I am not sure if any of the players present will be signed, but there was at least some interest from the scouts in certain players. 

Leagues like the CFL are a great opportunity for these young players to continue to develop their skills and play the game of football. And who knows, some of the players at the combine may end up succeeding in the smaller leagues and could move onto the NFL. What I do know is that Division II and III players are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. 

Good luck boys