November is perhaps the most important month for many High School athletes. It marks the start of the college signing period, when recruited athletes can put pen to paper and officially commit to their colleges. 

One of the biggest decisions for athletes during their commitment process is choosing the school they believe would be a best fit for them as a student athlete. Most colleges are split between the three NCAA divisions. Typically, Division I schools have the highest student populations, the most competitive teams and the biggest budgets for athletics. Due to its high level of competition, Division I athletes typically practice and compete the most, often having tight schedules between academics and athletics. Macy Gregor ‘24, a Division I softball commit at Western Kentucky emphasized, “the connection and the relationship with the coaches and team” she felt at the school which appealed the most to her. Gregor’s recruiting process was busy, she stated that “all my summers consist of softball, I’m always out of town playing tournaments.”

Division III on the other hand brings a competitive athletic experience, but differs as athletes have a bigger focus on their academics and lighter athletic schedules.

Cayden Liao ‘24, a Carnegie Mellon [Division III] swim commit, stated, “I started considering a few D1s but I realized that I really wanted to focus on my major… and I thought D3 was really nice because it is not that much of a commitment, but is still competitive.”