Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

The following article was originally published in NOW Newspapers under the "State of Play" feature, a series of bi-weekly feature columns penned by WSN General Manager Travis Wilson.
 

“Why do you bother publishing commitments to Division 3 schools?”

“How can someone 'commit' to a D3 school that doesn't even give scholarships?”

“Why bother reporting Division 3 commitments when many of them don't even end up as part of the team?”

These are some of the questions we get at WisSports.net when it comes to reporting interest or commitments to non-Division 1 schools. And while I understand where they're coming from, I think they're largely unfair.

As a high school athlete, I was a starter in baseball, basketball, and football at Richland Center High School. I wasn't especially gifted physically, but had good skills, was smart, and worked hard. Still, I knew I wasn't good enough to play any meaningful minutes at the Division 3 level in any of the sports, especially with the quality programs we have in Wisconsin. Instead, I went a different route, and while at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I approached the basketball staff about helping in whatever way possible, knowing I wanted to get into coaching. They graciously allowed me to join as a student assistant coach, which served as a valuable learning experience for other coaching opportunities I got down the road.

So what's the point with that, and how does it relate to the questions above?

Many good high school athletes do not continue their careers at the next level, either because they just aren't quite good enough, decide they've had enough of organized athletics, want to focus on school, or whatever else may play into the decision.

The stats for high schoolers that go on to play in NCAA Division 1 are cited often. In men's and women's basketball, only about 1% of high school players will play D1, while the figure in football swells to a whopping 2.5%. 

But what about Divisions 2 and 3?

According to data from the NCAA and the National Federation of High Schools, the figures are very similar to those that go on to play D1. In football, 1.7% of high school athletes will go on to participate in Division 2, while just 2.3% will play D3. Basketball athletes have about a 1% chance of moving from the high school level to NCAA Division 2, and about a 1.5% chance of playing in Division 3.

The number of athletes and likelihood of playing at the Division 2 and 3 levels is about the same as playing in Division 1. Only a select few have the opportunity, and we feel their advancement, without the glamour (or scholarship money) of D1, should be celebrated just the same.

Our goal has never been to cover only the elite athletes. We provide statistical and biographical information on every player on a team, not just the leading scorer. It's the same philosophy we take in covering recruiting.

We want to publicize and celebrate a student-athlete's college opportunities, whether they are paying their way to play UW-Stevens Point or accepting a full scholarship offer to Wisconsin. Both are tremendous accomplishments, both are something to be proud of, and both are reserved for a select few individuals.

And as we have seen, many of those individuals go on to do incredible things at the Division 2 and Division 3 levels. No matter the sport, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is regarded as one of the best D3 leagues in the entire country. Look no further than recent successes in football at UW-Whitewater, basketball at Whitewater, Stevens Point, and Platteville, and many other places. In the last two years alone, WIAC schools have won 11 national titles. It brings the historical total to 107, a number unmatched by any other NCAA Division 3 conference. Private schools in the state have seen great success as well. And don't forget that many of the highly-successful Division 2 programs in Minnesota feature a large number of former Wisconsin high school standouts as well.

Perhaps a player heading to UW-Eau Claire or UW-Stout doesn't carry the same cachet as one receiving a scholarship from the Ohio State football team. And many more people are likely to be interested in the latter than the former. But what the players did to get in their respective positions is no less important and impressive.

We have always felt a sense of pride in providing coverage and promotion for all high school players, and welcome information on whatever your future athletic plans may be. Hopefully, others can recognize that as well.