What are the ten biggest factors in a college decision for athletic recruiting

With Signing Day around the corner, high school athletes will be signing their Letters of Intent and in the process finalizing a college decision.  If anyone questioned that their verbal commitments meant much, it will be signing this National Letter of Intent that makes things completely official. 

We have decided to put together the top ten different factors that likely play major factors in any college decision, especially those for athletics (obviously if you are not playing sports, your role on the team doesn’t matter much).  These ten are in no particular order but each should be something to think about strongly before you sign away a year of your life with the National Letter of Intent. 

1.) Coaches
The coaches are the ones recruiting you so unless you grew up dreaming of playing for their school, they should play a major role in your decision.  They will help you get comfortable with the program overall.  

2.) Location
If it is ten minutes or ten hours away, location is something that you should think about.  Can your parents make the trip to your games?  Can you drive home over a weekend to see your family (or girlfriend)? 

3.) Playing time
Competitive athletes don’t go to a college thinking they will never play.  So if you spend four years sitting the bench, would you really be happy in the long run?

4.) Academics
You will be a student athlete who is there to get an education, not play sports (despite what some schools think).  Academics must play a major role in your college decision.  You will regret it later on if you don’t think about it early. 

5.) Success of the program
Do you want to go to a team that will be spending the next few years rebuilding?  That may mean more playing time so success of the program is something to think about.  Would you be happy losing a lot of games early on?

6.) The players
Unless a school is going through major rebuilding (and it does happen),  then the players at the school will likely be ones that you hang out with while there.  Becoming comfortable with these players is important in a decision. 

7.) Weather
Are you going to college to play baseball?  Then maybe going down South will help you be able to play year round.  It is a minor decision but something that really should be thought about. 

8.) A feeling of home
The thing that most athletes say about making a decision is that they finally found a school that felt like home.  It is basically impossible to describe the feeling but something you just know in your gut. 

9.) Following of the team
I had a chance to play college basketball at a place that was bad going in.  Due to their struggles, about twenty students went to the game (I wish I was joking).  This following is something that is vital for the overall outcome of your decision. 

10.) Scholarship money
This may actually be number one for a lot of athletes.  The amount of scholarship money that you receive is huge.