We will ever get football prep schools like basketball?

[mc140]

The ones where the kids don't actually attend a school (everything is online and likely done for them) and just play basketball year round? Those have been popping up by the dozens the past few years.

 

[ignazio]

A few issues:
a) basketball sucks,
b) finding competition: you need a group of 50 to get a game of football, that brings in travel issues,
c) in basketball you can play with as few as 7, players are replaceable components,
d) rivalries = revenue, thus, who cares about the Superstarzzz vs the Ballerzzz? And,
e) basketball sucks.

 

[Anon1754760634]

Yeah overall it's a pretty costly venture plus insurance, finding other teams to play etc. that's why off -season AAU travel 7on7 has taken off.

 

[Cat Box]

Another big limitation is the amount of time the IHSA will allow you on the field making contact. Everything is regulated.

Now enter my dream world for a moment. Imagine if a school like Marmion Academy became some kind of athletic destination. They have dormitories on campus, like a small college. The Marmion dorm opened in 1959 with 260 residents and closed in 2002 and they no longer have boarding students. Back in the day, there was a combination of boarders and commuters. Now Marmion is 100% commuters. Would be a cool concept if Marmion were a destination for top athletes from around the Midwest to live on campus, get a quality education and invest a higher level of athletic training than a normal high school.

 

[UlbKA91]

Another big limitation is the amount of time the IHSA will allow you on the field making contact. Everything is regulated.

Now enter my dream world for a moment. Imagine if a school like Marmion Academy became some kind of athletic destination. They have dormitories on campus, like a small college. The Marmion dorm opened in 1959 with 260 residents and closed in 2002 and they no longer have boarding students. Back in the day, there was a combination of boarders and commuters. Now Marmion is 100% commuters. Would be a cool concept if Marmion were a destination for top athletes from around the Midwest to live on campus, get a quality education and invest a higher level of athletic training than a normal high school.

Cough -- old Lincoln Way North -- Cough

 

[mc140]

The more I think about it, the less I think it will become widespread. Shoe companies do not make nearly as much money off of football cleat sales. There is not anywhere close to the same incentive to finance a football prep school.

 

[mchsalumni]

A few issues:
a) basketball sucks,
b) finding competition: you need a group of 50 to get a game of football, that brings in travel issues,
c) in basketball you can play with as few as 7, players are replaceable components,
d) rivalries = revenue, thus, who cares about the Superstarzzz vs the Ballerzzz? And,
e) basketball sucks.

a) and e) are 100% accurate.

 

[GT Fan2]

Why would you think that the prep schools would fall under IHSA control? The main selling point for basketball prep schools is college scholarships. Parents pay outrageous sums for the chance of getting a scholarship. And most of the players have already graduated high school, they're taking online college courses, taking the odd high school class to improve a GPA, or trying to improve their test score. The average tuition at IMG is $72,000. I'm pretty sure that fielding a team of 44-50 would cover your insurance and travel costs for having to play out of state teams. It's the next evolution of prep sports. The entire team at IMG was offered scholarships by Tennessee in football.

 

[mc140]

Why would you think that the prep schools would fall under IHSA control? The main selling point for basketball prep schools is college scholarships. Parents pay outrageous sums for the chance of getting a scholarship. And most of the players have already graduated high school, they're taking online college courses, taking the odd high school class to improve a GPA, or trying to improve their test score. The average tuition at IMG is $72,000. I'm pretty sure that fielding a team of 44-50 would cover your insurance and travel costs for having to play out of state teams. It's the next evolution of prep sports. The entire team at IMG was offered scholarships by Tennessee in football.

Most prep schools that have been formed recently are kids with multiple offers who just play basketball and do not attend an actual school. It is all online. So in reality they get to play AAU basketball for a solid year without even pretending to do class work.