college recruiting question

Question
Hi Al,  I am getting conflicting information on this. Does my son need to register with the NCAA clearinghouse for rowing in college.  He is only interested in big Div I varsity programs.  He is currently a Junior.  Coaches have been emailing him.  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Nikky: Things have changes since I was a college rower in the late-70s/early 80s.  There was no such paperwork required to determine eligibility for crew.  Then again, I was a non-scholarship walk-on and I couldn't vouch for what they did for people who were recruited.

I reviewed the literature out there and my recommendation is that if your son is being recruited for a D1 schloarship, he needs to be at least cleared for academic eligibility by the NCAA clearinghouse just to participate.  Even if he was just a walk-on NCAA eligibility determination applies, thus the need to register in the clearinghouse.  Eligibility is such a hot-button issue.  Schools can lose millions in revenue if they recruit an ineligible football player.  Crew is not a revenue sport, but it would cause shame if someone on the Varsity eight rowed for another school for four years.  [I actually rowed for another college for one race, Jacksonville University, even though I had graduated from Temple 4 years prior and was never even registered at Jacksonville.  The coach worked around it by registering us as a club team and not a University team, but you get the picture].

The paperwork is grueling, but go to the NCAA website and get started once your son has committed to a school and a crew scholarship.  It is a slow process and there are many people being processed.

Hope that helps/AP