Why don't we use TOPS to our advantage related to football?

It would seem to me that there are a bunch of 2 and 3 star recruits that are not of the quality that LSU would offer a scholarship but the directional schools would. Why don't we offer the ones who qualify for TOPS to walk on for a few years and tell them if they develop after a couple of years we will offer them a scholarship.

It seems like a no lose situation. The quality of our scout teams would improve and for every ten TOPS players there may be one who proves to be good enough to earn a scholarship, and you would know that the player is good academically, is a good citizen, works hard, has ability, and is a good member of the team. Why don't we use this TOPS thing more to our advantage? We could get our placekickers, punters, and longsnappers via this route at very least, but we could probably find players at every position this way. For instance, if they would have offered this to Hundley or Brian Babin at quarterback. Two years from now, they might prove to be the real deal and you have a quarterback.

 

Max I think they do try and use TOPS for the LA kids. It's used an awful lot in baseball so I am sure they try it in football as well. Especially when a kid grayshirts. There are no partial schollarships in football though, they are aren't allowed, so they cannot use TOPS to supplement like they do in baseball. So if these players are getting full ride offers at other schools TOPS is not as good of an option.

 

If I'm not mistaken, a TOPS scholarship only covers tuition (and books if you have a higher GPA and ACT score), while an athletic scholarship covers pretty much everything except spending money. I assume that's room and board as well.

Depending on a family's financial status, TOPS may not be an option when they can get a full ride to a smaller school.

 

I think they can use the TOPS for football, but I believe it counts towards the 85 scholarship limit?

Maybe someone can answer this question...

 

I believe I remember so discussions about this as relates to 2 sport athletes. If they play football, it must be counted as a football scholly and against the 85 total schollies.

I think that a kid could walk on with a TOPS which is much likelier. But someone above posted, a football schollie pays the full ride, TOPS exludes some things.

 

TOPS doesn't cover room & board, just Tuition (with a minimum 12 or maybe even 15 hours now per semester course load) & Books. It's intended for kids to get a free ride at a local state university while living at home. It would only serve those BR area kids that have a 3.0 GPA or better that could live at home. There are a lot of good players in the River Parishes, but that's too long a ride to go to school. LSU has had a few players in FB take the TOPS ride and the scout team is usually where they end up.

 

It depends on the school !

 

That takes place when an athlete plays another sport, like track or baseball. That is the Bear Bryant Rule, to keep the swim team from being a bunch of sinkers. Any scholarship athlete that plays football is charged to the football team. That is one of the reasons a track coach loves a guy like Saban that doesn't mind 2 sport athletes. Football players can be on Tops w/o it counting towards the 85 limit.

In baseball they can have a player on tops for tuition & books and then cover the board and food with the scholarship.

 

I think if they receive any kind of financial aid (tops included), and play football (play in a game), then they count towards our ships. If they pay their own way, walk on and play, then they do not count.

 

Is it my imagination, or are the scholarship rules getting just about as complicated as the tax code?