Read the opposing argument from Loyal Homer.
For college football diehards, the single best week prior to the first week of September is nearing completion. Yesterday was National Signing Day, when every college football program revealed the future of their respective programs by announcing the new student-athletes coming to campus. Some talent is in need of being cultivated, other talent is coming to campus immediately ready. Either way, the diehard fans are very excited about the new talent and potential of the next generation of talent.
But, is all of the hubbub about college football recruiting too much? Do fans and the media make too much of the attention paid to unproven recruits? No way. Seldom are fans able to glimpse the real future of the program, and signing day – and all of the coverage about recruiting – gives fans an insiders perspective on the current and future state of their favorite team.
College football is a massive business, and diehard fans are an important audience. Diehard fans are also hungry for any news about their favorite schools. Diehards are a legitimate, money-paying, important part of the overall college football target audience. They are willing to pay a great deal of money for access to knowledge about their preferred team’s recruiting. The media attention about recruiting is not just a frivolous invasion of high schooler’s lives, as detractors may choose to paint the hoopla around recruiting. Recruiting information is a legitimate, legal product offered to paying customers. It is good information and good marketing. It generates excitement about the sport in what would otherwise be a downtime, making it a winning business proposition. Frankly, to steal any headlines from the NFL during Super Bowl week is impressive, and it proves how much fans care about college football and recruiting.
Now, the product is offered and paid for, but why? It is legal to offer the information as a “product,” but why would even the diehard audience pay for this content? Because recruiting matters. A single recruit can make a substantial difference in the present and future of a program. A good example is the recruiting story of Clemson running back, and eventually first round NFL draft pick, C.J. Spiller.
Spiller was a top recruit in the nation, the top rated running back on some lists and even the top recruiting according to some services. Every major college football program was after him due to his once in a generation speed, leadership, and explosiveness. Clemson is not considered a top tier program on a national scale. Florida, Notre Dame, Florida State, and other major schools were all vying for Spiller’s services. Yet, Clemson’s former recruiting coordinator turned head coach Dabo Swinney convinced Spiller that Clemson was the right place for him. Shortly after Spiller’s shocking announcement, other four star, blue chip recruits committed to Clemson over the next several recruiting seasons – even on defense – and now the prospects for Clemson’s program are looking up. In fact, Clemson’s recruiting class for 2010 includes multiple four-star recruits. A single recruit has changed the general talent Clemson is able to attract. That, folks, is why diehard fans pay such close attention to recruiting. A good class, plus good coaching once they get to campus, has the ability to transform a program and from a middle tier to a top tier school. Diehards pay and the media cares because recruiting does matter. Detractors fail to see the value of the long-term payoff and undervalue the passion some fans demonstrate for a college football program, not just a team.
True fans do not care about a single season. They care about every aspect of the program, including its long-term sustainability. Recruiting is as important as any Saturday night featured game, only the payoff is more drawn out.
Diehard fans and media members think in a similar way to coaches. As soon as the season is over, conventional thinking turns from general excitement about how the season ended (or disappointment, depending on the team) to which players from the team are turning pro… and therefore what the new recruiting class must look like. Responsible reporters must cover recruiting because diehard fans thirst for the knowledge.
Good recruiting makes major positive impacts on a team and a program. Perhaps the reporting on recruiting is not always that great. More emphasis is placed on physicality and 40-yard dash time, and less on smarts, coachability, and overall fit within the program. The recruiting reporting should be deeper and better overall.
What do Southern Cal, Texas, and Florida all have in common? They are dominant programs, and they are all on top of the recruiting charts year in and year out. If the best programs also lead in recruiting, it is logical to look to outcome of recruiting each year to get a strong indication about what college football programs are the best. There is an inescapable, direct correlation between recruiting and success.
Recruiting is important. Sports Illustrated college football writer Andy Staples recently published an article about the top 15 recruiting classes of all time. There are some amazing players on this list that completely transformed the fortunes of some of the greatest programs in the history of college football. A significant recruiting class can make a massive impact on the notoriety – and therefore the financial statement – of a college football program. Any reporters who ignore that is foolish.
Posted by Sports Geek 
