NCAA Isn't the Only Option!

NCAA or Bust? 2 Things Potential JUCO Athletes Should Consider in Their Recruiting Process

By Gema Fernandez|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on June 23, 2022)

It can be tempting to view NCAA D1 as the end all be all for potential college athletes. After all, who wouldn't want to compete with the best of the best? But there are other options recruits should consider, including junior colleges. Before deciding to compete at the NCAA level, keep a couple of things in mind.

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What are the Pros and Cons of Junior College?

Some of the pros are: tuition cost is typically way cheaper than in a university. You can interact with the professor much more because the size of the class is usually small and you are going to be able to build that trust with the professor to ask any questions you may have. Some college students love junior college, and the lifestyle can be very similar to a bigger university.

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A big con can be class credits, which don't always transfer to major universities. Another con is the level of the classes, which can be less demanding. When it comes to sports, the competition level in a university is much more competitive, whereas in a junior college you only have a couple competitive games while in a university all of them are hard games. Some athletes will prefer being more competitive.

Do College Coaches Even Recruit From Junior Colleges?

Yes, and the recruiting process is fairly similar. If you want to be recruited at the JUCO level, as soon as you are done with the season, you will have to watch all the games you have played and create a video with your highlights. When you are done with this, you should do some research about the schools that you are interested in, and the division you want to play in, etc. Make sure you ask your coach if you can start getting in contact with other coaches, since during the season it is forbidden. By doing this video, coaches will start answering your emails and calling you. Some athletes get recruited by coaches from D1 schools while they're in Junior College. So do not think that only bad coaches are going to recruit you.