Good read, and it shows that IL isnt the only state that struggles with this.
http://footballscoop.com/news/study-shows-top-recruits-signing-state-schools/
http://footballscoop.com/news/study-shows-top-recruits-signing-state-schools/
I feel ya no doubt! I am just saying everyone is feeling it especially with the top recruits, just maybe not as much as IL is feeling it.The problem isn’t the best player or even the 5 best players are leaving it’s that players 6-20 are also leaving.
I also wonder if Champaign is also "too close to your old friends" for parents of South side/South suburban recruits.what makes illinois unique in many ways is that there are 4 Big ten schools and Notre Dame which are closer to many Chicago area recruits than the large state university.
If you look at history, U of I has historically been much more successful with StL recruits than Chicago ones. I think the lack of close competition has something to do with it.