Is D1 that bad? Should I not go? Topic

I have put in an application for a D1 school in Knight. I have had a few people send me messages or comment that I shouldn't go to D1 and that D2 is much better. 

I really enjoy the conference I am in but ultimately I won't ever have the chance to be at a big D1 program unless I move up to a low D1 school and move up.

Anyone have any insight or thought?

Thanks in advance


6/7/2012 12:03 PM
I prefer D2, but perhaps it's just what I'm most used to...I've played 3 seasons at D1 and never got the satisfaction that I did playing in D2.  I'm looking to move up to D1 in one of my worlds soon though, but not entirely for D1 reasons.  D2 is where it's at in this game, but if you want to coach a big-time program eventually, then go for it.
6/7/2012 12:07 PM
Well I actually like D1. It gets a bad rap. Since coming to D1 I think i've really become a better coach because of it. If you go it's a real challenge at first but I think it's definetly worth it.
6/7/2012 12:08 PM
I really like D1.
6/7/2012 12:15 PM
D1 is almost an entirely different game from D2. As an inexperienced coach, one can expect to be an also ran and first round NT loser for many a season. You won't be contending for a title any time short of the sun setting in the east. High level D1 once you get the hang of it and get into a decent conference, can be a lot of fun and is very challenging. Its all in what you want out of the game.

D2 is considered that sweet spot between having enough money to recruit the guys you want, without getting shellacked by teams with built in prestige and conference bonuses. Its a lot of fun. Its also probably less challenging, because in D3 at least, you have to be very selective on how you spend you recruiting money, and mistakes are devastating.
6/7/2012 12:20 PM

If you have the patience, then D1 is where it's at.  Some people don't...and they are the ones who mostly complain.

6/7/2012 12:37 PM
It's a different game.   I enjoy both.   I'll tell you this though, it is wicked hard to win games in the NT without being one of the big boys in DI.
6/7/2012 12:43 PM
I am a D1 kind of guy, from mid-major to top tier. Building up an also ran at either level of D1 Is rewarding and doable with patience, education and some calculated risk taking. I think D1 needs some adjustments to allow premiere mid-major teams or conferences to improve via a newly formatted prestige system based on success. And to make B prestige mid majors attainable for fairly successful mid major coaches, successful low level D1 coaches and very good D2 coaches. And something may need to be adjusted with the talent pool with more solid, higher potentialed 1, 2 star players, etc.
6/7/2012 1:05 PM
I love D1 but I will say if you have aspirations of winning a D1 title your objective should be to get to a BCS conference as quickly as possible and build from there. I agree though that it is a completely different game from D2 and D3.
6/7/2012 1:17 PM
D1 is hard.  I like D1, but all the top coaches are there and they are good, and they have A+ prestige, and they get more $$$ than you.  So its WAY easier to win fast at D2.  Even the smartest coach in the world would take 10 seasons or more to go from first D1 job to Final four contender today.
6/7/2012 1:55 PM
Posted by reinsel on 6/7/2012 1:55:00 PM (view original):
D1 is hard.  I like D1, but all the top coaches are there and they are good, and they have A+ prestige, and they get more $$$ than you.  So its WAY easier to win fast at D2.  Even the smartest coach in the world would take 10 seasons or more to go from first D1 job to Final four contender today.
im not sure id go quite that far... but all in all, true sentiments :)
6/7/2012 2:21 PM
If you are able to qualify, please consider the Atlantic 10. I hope you'll consider the A-10 in Knight. We are really making some big strides. We placed 3 teams in the NT last year, and one in the PI, so the conference is getting some good recruiting $$$. My team St. Louis team made the 2nd round and Charlotte made the Sweet 16. We added a couple of good coaches last year. I think we could really build it up to be competitive with the big conferences, which would be cool. We already have one very good coach coming to take a team this year, so there are 4 teams available. We were #7 of the conferences last year. It is a great group of coaches with a nice conference message board.
6/7/2012 2:26 PM
Posted by gvsujulius on 6/7/2012 12:03:00 PM (view original):
I have put in an application for a D1 school in Knight. I have had a few people send me messages or comment that I shouldn't go to D1 and that D2 is much better. 

I really enjoy the conference I am in but ultimately I won't ever have the chance to be at a big D1 program unless I move up to a low D1 school and move up.

Anyone have any insight or thought?

Thanks in advance


both d1 and d2 can be great, some people prefer one over the other. in a lot of ways, i prefer d2, and in others, i prefer d1.

the main attraction of d1, without question, is d1 recruiting. it is a veritable blood bath, at least in most parts of the country. in d2 the typical coach doesn't battle very often, and on contested players, its rare multiple coaches put in more than 1 scholarship worth on money. in d1, it happens all the time. if you make it through a season without a battle, 90% of the time, you are shooting too low, 5% of the time, you had no scholarships, and 5% of the time, you just got really lucky :) OK, i might be stretching the truth, but only slightly!!

d1 recruiting is a whole new ball game. it is awesome, can be incredible fun, but also, incredibly frustrating, and on occasion, death threats are levied. these are usually forgotten well before the next recruiting season :) d1 recruiting is THE most competitive part of the game, and i don't think its even close. 

on the other hand, game play in d1 is diminished, in my opinion. when you are not a top end team, and you are playing against a team who has 10 players better than all but 1 of your players, and 5 players better than your best 1, its just not very fun. nor is it fun when you have 10 players better than all but 1 of your opponents players, although its certainly better than the reverse case :)

however, when you are a top team, playing other top teams, its also not as fun. what makes game play fun to me, is having a team with strengths and weaknesses, significant ones, and trying to leverage your strengths while minimizing the impact of your weaknesses. and then, looking at your opponent, and trying to limit their strengths while exploiting their weaknesses. well, when two teams play with a starting 5 that is virtually perfect, there is really not much to do except to watch the dice roll on by. i mean, you can always do SOMETHING, and there are always coaches who will play their team wrong, and all that. but the overall strategy in the game play is diminished, IMO. 
6/7/2012 2:31 PM
Gvsujulius I think you would be great at d1 and you take on the challenge!
6/7/2012 3:21 PM

Does anyone think I will be D1 eligible from my Tampa team in Crum? I think I will be headed for the PIT baring a miracle in the conf tourney. Here is the resume...

Season 53: D2 Tampa 18-8 Currently 83 RPI, so I am guessing a PIT invite.

Season 52: D2 Tampa 23-9 (overall) 12-4 (conf), RPI: 38 Regular Season Conference Champ, Conf Tourney Champion,  National Tournament Sweet 16

Season 51: D2 Tampa #14 27-3 (overall) 15-1 (conf), RPI: 32  Regular Season Conference Champion, Conference Tournament Champion, National Tournament - 1st Round, Conference Coach of the Year

Season 30: D1 Charleston 12-15 (overall) 7-9 (conf), RPI: 217

Season 29: D1 Charleston 4-23 (overall)/4-12 (conf), RPI: 300

Season 28: D1 Charleston 12-15 (overall) 10-6 (conf), RPI: 195

Season 27: D1 Charleston 8-19 (overall) 7-9 (conf), RPI: 297

Season 26: D2 Winona St. 23-7 (overall) 13-3 (conf), RPI: 47 National Tournament At-large Bid, National Tournament - 2nd Round

Season 25: D2 Winona St. 15-12 (overall) 12-4 (conf), RPI: 97

Season 24: D2 Winona St. 23-7 (overall) 14-2 (conf), RPI: 47 Regular Season Conference Champion, Conference Tournament Champion National Tournament - 1st Round, Conference Coach of the Year

Any one have a thought on whether this will be good enough? That would tell me if I should leave Knight D2 or wait for Crum to end

6/7/2012 3:43 PM
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