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Troubling trends lead to Big Ten hitting bottom

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The numbers don’t lie. The Big Ten is in bad shape.

Troubling trends in recruiting and some reluctance by schools to invest the way it’s done in the Southeastern Conference have been dragging down Big Ten football in recent years. This season looks as if it could be rock bottom.

The gory details through three weeks:

— 1-10 vs. other Big Five conferences.

— 24-14 overall in nonconference games, worst among record among the Big Five conferences.

— 5-3 against the Mid-American Conference

— And this one from Mlive.com, 2-12 in nonconference games against FBS teams with winning records.

“It’s presently as bad as it looks,” said former LSU and Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo, who also works as an analyst for the Big Ten Network. “The future is not as bad as predicted.”

At the heart of the matter is recruiting, and a demographic shift that is far bigger than the Big Ten.

The number of people, and quality football players, in the Big Ten’s footprint has been shrinking.

Only 17 of the top 100 high school players, as rated by Rivals.com, in the 2014 signing class came from states with Big Ten schools, and that’s including New York, New Jersey and Maryland, and Washington D.C. Rutgers and Maryland joined the Big Ten this season.

The current top 100 for 2015 includes only nine players from Big Ten states. It goes to 10 if you throw Connecticut in the Big Ten’s footprint.

California, Texas and Florida have for years been the most-talent rich states. Ohio used to be in the next group and Pennsylvania not far behind that.

That’s changed, according to Mike Farrell, national recruiting analyst for Rivals. He now puts Ohio behind Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia and North Carolina.

“These are feeder programs for a lot of the ACC and SEC powers,” Farrell said. “Pennsylvania’s dropped off as well. They used to be well ahead of New Jersey, in my estimation. Now they’re just not.”

So the Big Ten needs to get more players from outside its footprint, which isn’t easy. Players generally go to school close to home.

Still, DiNardo said Big Ten schools need to do better. Part of the problem is recruiting rules work against luring kids far away.

Football coaches are not allowed to meet face-to-face with recruits off campus until after the players’ junior school years. Official recruiting visits to schools, which are paid for by the schools, don’t start until players are seniors. Prospects can make unofficial visits before then.

“A prospect in the Sun Belt who can’t afford to drive to Lincoln, Nebraska, nor do they have any desire to drive from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Lincoln, Nebraska, they’ll never be exposed to Big Ten schools,” DiNardo said.

And if you’re not recruiting a player until his senior year, it’s often too late.

“I suggest part of the solution to this is to allow football prospects to visit in May and June of their junior year,” DiNardo said.

Basketball recruiting rules allow for earlier contact between coaches and prospects.

Bringing in Rutgers and Maryland should help make the northeast corridor Big Ten territory, but the benefits will likely take some time to come to fruition.

The Big Ten’s football problems are also part cultural and financial.

“There are Big Ten institutions that don’t want to spend all the money they’re making on the sport that’s making all the money,” DiNardo said.

The recent hirings of former Florida coach Urban Meyer at Ohio State and former Vanderbilt coach James Franklin at Penn State could help shake things up.

There has never been a doubt about Ohio State’s commitment to football, but hiring Meyer upped the ante.

“He just tore down a beautiful locker room to build a more beautiful locker room,” DiNardo said.

Ohio State’s biggest problem this season is Braxton Miller’s injury. In the long run, the Buckeyes should be fine.

Franklin, along with his predecessor, Bill O’Brien, brought a dose of reality to Penn State that could have a ripple effect throughout the conference.

“Y’all might think these are the best facilities in the country, but they’re not,” DiNardo said was the message Franklin and O’Brien sent. “Y’all might think you’re paying everyone a lot, but you’re not. Y’all might think the staff’s big enough, but it’s really not.”

In Rivals’ current recruiting rankings for 2015, Penn State is the only Big Ten team in the top 10. The rest are SEC schools, Florida State and Clemson from the ACC and Pac-12 power Southern California.

Penn State appears to be heading in the right direction. Michigan is a mess right now, but should be fixable in the long term, DiNardo said.

Getting Nebraska back to being a national title contender, DiNardo said, is the toughest fix.

If the Big Ten can get its historic powers (Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State) in order, keep Michigan State rolling and Wisconsin steady, it’ll be a formidable conference again.

“I do think there is going to be a reaction to this, to all the negative publicity,” DiNardo said, “and if a Big Ten school doesn’t get into the playoff of four it may even speed up.”

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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tenn., contributed to this report.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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