Division I atheltics

Just wondering how many spots all the division I athletes eat up in each enrolling class? With NIL and the professionalism of college athletics….just interesting.

Total roster across all varsity sports for 2023-24 was roughly 1350, not discounting dual sport athletes.
So approximately 30%.

FutureAcademyDad? said:

Total roster across all varsity sports for 2023-24 was roughly 1350, not discounting dual sport athletes.
So approximately 30%.

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Not all of them are actual recruited athletes and some teams are all walk-ons. I was a walk-on as was my son. We earned our noms/appointments the old fashioned way

Many of those D1 athletes that eat up the enrolling classes are also great students that finish top of their class at USNA.

If they totaled up current D1 athletes with former, the number would probably lean former. We started with 9. Finished with 3. Some went on to club sports, 1 went to another D1 team. Football loses around 1/2 to 2/3 along the way. Some find sprint football (very few with weight requirements) or rugby. As mentioned sports like sailing and crew, have many walk ons. Track & field… they all do 2 seasons due to indoor and outdoor. Distance also adds in cross country.

Kentucky9 said:

Just wondering how many spots all the division I athletes eat up in each enrolling class? With NIL and the professionalism of college athletics….just interesting.

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I don't see why we would think of the D1 athlete as "eating up" a part of the class. In my mind, there is no reason to believe that D1 athletes are an inferior part of each enrolled class. Indeed, on the contrary, a D1 athlete, likely brings some superior physical traits. And, I don't think we can assume that means these members of each class are intellectually inferior. I haven't seen any indication, nor heard anecdotally that NIL has had a significant impact on Navy (or other SA) sports/transfers.

A1Janitor said:

Many of those D1 athletes that eat up the enrolling classes are also great students that finish top of their class at USNA.

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Well said. Many athletes are on Supe’s List, Dean’s List, etc. and have excellent past history on their applications in all desirable areas.

One of our current sponsor family, a recruited athlete, has earned a stellar GPA every semester to date, plus As in military aptitude (difficult for varsity athletes because of away-from-company time and the occasional choice of some to lump all athletes together in a negative stereotype - this person invested time in company and showed up) and some other top-of-pack accomplishments that would likely make them identifiable.

I would gladly let varsity athletes like these into the class every time if I had the magic wand. They bring expertise and high performance in an area associated with many attributes of high-performing leaders, and clearly had the academic and military chops to make it through. They brought all their skills to the table as military leaders in the combat zone and paid the ultimate price for serving.

And Becky Dowling Calder, women’s basketball captain both as a 2/C and 1/C, winner of the ADM Larson Leadership Award, outstanding in academics and all-around midshipman performance. One of the best games I saw her play, delivering amazing stats, she played sick, with a fever, pushing herself through because she knew, as an athlete, what her body could take, and put her team first.


There is room for all kinds of skill sets in the class. There is an affinity between military leadership and many of the traits needed to excel as athletes. Others gain the same skills outside athletic endeavors, which enriches the class just as well.

Of course, there are poor-performing mids among the varsity athlete population, just as there are among the non-athlete population. They should be considered as individual cases, not necessarily as a representative of a group.

I teach at our flagship state university, and each term about 5% of my students are D1 athletes. As a group, they regularly outperform the rest of their sections. Typically a section's average grade is 79% - 80%. The D1 athletes, collectively, come in around the upper 80s.

They tend to sit in the first two rows, play more active roles in group assignments, and come to class more consistently (save their scheduled sport-related absences). For group assignments, I require students to assess their teammates. The D1 athletes tend to be called out for their leadership and time management.

And yes, my student-athletes include quite a few from the so-called "revenue sports" of football and basketball. The basketball player who led the team in scoring during its recent men's March Madness run and is projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft -- he earned an A- in my Principles of _____ class. The basketball player who was assigned to defend a generational talent in the team's recent women's March Madness run -- she earned an A in that same class, with the third highest point total overall.

Last fall, one football player scored twice against our in-state rival. A volleyball player recorded her 1000th career kill. A runner helped set the school record for the 4x400 relay. In the very next class, there they were, near the front, ready to roll. I announced their accomplishments before starting class, followed by applause from their classmates. (I do the same for students who land their first job, which elicits the same reaction.) Then down to business!

From my perspective, the D1 aspect is probably what helped “push” the needle in their favor. Like many have said, most of the D1 recruits/athletes had just as outstanding superlatives than any other candidate, it’s just that they happened to be excellent athletes as well. They didn’t “eat-up” or takeaway anything, just more boxes to check for a potential appointment. That is also why I will be gunning to be a recruited athlete for Class of 2029. I didn’t have the times this application cycle, but I will for the next one. It’s my only shot in the district/state I am in.

I am not criticizing athletes, just speculating that since Navy takes pride in so many division I offerings, that could make it even more difficult for a man who doesn’t play squash.

Kentucky9 said:

I am not criticizing athletes, just speculating that since Navy takes pride in so many division I offerings, that could make it even more difficult for a man who doesn’t play squash.

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A man who doesn’t play squash can win their slates too.

Kentucky9 said:

I am not criticizing athletes, just speculating that since Navy takes pride in so many division I offerings, that could make it even more difficult for a man who doesn’t play squash.

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LOL, so they should only prioritize wrestlers over any other sport? There are a total of 9 athletes on the Squash team. That is a statistically insignificant number compared to the population of the Yard. I really don't even know what the heck you're trying to say. But I do know that the number one graduate of class of 23 was a Water Polo player. Maybe USNA should be prioritizing water polo players over everybody else, since that sport seems to produce better Mids.

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HS Team Roping Champion to Naval Academy Midshipman to Marine to Washington Insider

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FutureAcademyDad? said:

LOL, so they should only prioritize wrestlers over any other sport? There are a total of 9 athletes on the Squash team. That is a statistically insignificant number compared to the population of the Yard. I really don't even know what the heck you're trying to say. But I do know that the number one graduate of class of 23 was a Water Polo player. Maybe USNA should be prioritizing water polo players over everybody else, since that sport seems to produce better Mids.

Spoiler

Obviously a tongue in cheek comment.

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Water polo does produce a lot of EOD and SEAL candidates. Not a massive team, but always a handful who get selected most years .

My son was best friends with D1 wrestlers. One looked like Brock Lesnar.

He said his toughest friend was the water polo guy. Insane shape.

Ping pong….Taiwan diplomacy sollution. Recruit ping pong

A1Janitor said:

My son was best friends with D1 wrestlers. One looked like Brock Lesnar.

He said his toughest friend was the water polo guy. Insane shape.

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I'm guessing he never got on the mat with a wrestler. . . (my apologies in advance, this thread is weird, but I couldn't help myself).

Holden100 said:

I'm guessing he never got on the mat with a wrestler. . . (my apologies in advance, this thread is weird, but I couldn't help myself).

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lol I think he was a good high school wrestler.

(One of DS’ D1 wrestler friends is like 150. I took him out to dinner when he came to visit and told him I would crush him - I am 230 and trained JKD. He was jovial and said “yes, sir.” At USNA graduation night - I visited them partying. He had a beer in one hand - I went to shake his other hand and tried to throw him. He moved not one inch. I immediately let go of him and told him I had him. He said “yes, you did, sir.”)

Holden100 said:

I'm guessing he never got on the mat with a wrestler. . . (my apologies in advance, this thread is weird, but I couldn't help myself).

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I'm guessing that the wrestler never got in the pool with the water polo player. It all depends on the environment in which you're competing.

FutureAcademyDad? said:

I'm guessing that the wrestler never got in the pool with the water polo player. It all depends on the environment in which you're competing.

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And, again, you're adding to the weirdness of this thread. Let it go.