Every sport must be very different. What I can tell you with 100% accuracy is that at 14 years old at the highest level of soccer tournaments there are 40 D1 coaches watching every game. At every tournament I went to the Navy and Army coaches were right there in the mix. In women's soccer it starts at that age and the very top athletes have offers and verbally commit in 8th and 9th grades. It is written right across your name in the brochure that you are off the market and committed and it lists the school you are committed to, so the coaches looking know you are off the market. Most of the girls have commited by 10th grade and pretty much 100% by early 11th grade. YMMV.
This may occur, and I get it.
However, as a parent and a spouse of a retired ADAF member, those coaches being in the mix is different than offering anything. UMDCP is nationally recognized for LAX and BBall, plus soccer. However, they could not give a flying leap if the kids are allergic to tree nuts, have eczema or have color vision deficiency, let alone their ACT/SAT scores. USAFA cares. One bad bone break as a sophomore where they can become DQ from DoDMERB throws all of their plans in the wind. WHY?
Because in the end of their day, USAFA's job is to train OPERATIONAL officers, not college grads that play sports for them.
~ Can't go into 5 Guys Burgers because they have peanuts everywhere and send you into an allergic reaction is a no go for them. Yet, for a college student on athletic scholarship, just avoid 5 Guys and all is well.
~ You can't get a higher score than 22 on English ACT, or 450 Verbal SAT...there is a problem. Have you never seen the expose on 60 minutes regarding college sports and the classes they take?
Again, being there, watching and looking is different than saying...here you go, I promise a spot at an SA for the class of
2026. Take a minute and realize that number. So much can happen in these yrs.
Maybe the coach said, HEY stay on this course including academically, stay healthy, and I THINK we MAY have a spot for you, it is not the same as signing them. I have never heard of any SA cadet/mid committed for a sport by a coach when they were in 9th, 10th or 11th.
~ Notice I THINK and MAY...it is not WE WILL and YOU HAVE
OBTW, nobody is arguing that it doesn't occur, yet, I think everybody is trying to drill in the fact that an SA has a lot more hurdles to clear and we have never seen/heard of this occurring before. Reason why? See above regarding that they must be 3Q plus a nom...academically, medically, and physically. Coaches know they must have a NOM to get an appointment, regardless of what the coach might say.
Now if you know for sure (in writing) that an SA coach has offered an appointment for the class of 2026 than please share, otherwise we are spinning circles, probably around the proud parents that said their child was promised an appointment.